That if at anie time Fortune being alwaies vncertain variable shewed hir selfe more friendlie to the Greekes than to all men besides if euer the Grecians were feared in all the world it was in the time of Trebatio the sonne of Alicante which man by right line descended from the noble ancient bloud of Molosso the second sonne of strong Pyrrhus and in the third discent from the great Achilles which was slaine in the warres at Troye This Trebatio in the xxv yeare of his age reigned in Epyrus where the said Pirrhus and his auncestours had bene Kings He was strong and valiant in armes and endowed with so manie graces that his fame in that time was spred ouer all the world and that there was neither King nor Emperour but he was glad to hold him for his friend Now it happened in his time by the death of the Emperour Theodoro the state of the Empire to be void for that Theodoro had no sonne and the Empire was to bée giuen by election so that the Electors not finding any whom with se good reason they might choose for Emperor as the great Trebatio as well for his great valure as for his discent from so noble a race They with the willing ioynt assent of all the Emperialls named him vnto the Empire and brought him with great honour to Constantinople Where if before for his great fame they had praised and honored him now much more they held him déere hauing in some part seene knowen him Because he was of conditions very noble pleasant louing to all liberall curteous sufferable pitifull and aboue all very desirous to entertein in his Court valiant and worthy Knights whom he honored aboue all the Princes of the earth So that his court flourished with Princes and Knights as well subiects as straungers which much magnified his great estate himselfe held continuall excerse in armes with them as being lyke enclined to nothing His vertue by the report of such as knew him was so rare that it was generally thought none of his predecessors to haue had aduauntage ouer him but rather he was of greater force then any one of them all For many men were witnesses of his mightie strokes He was called the great Trebatio because he was 8. foote in height very strong timbred so that without proofe of his manhood they might thereby make coniecture of his force In his life customes and conditions he was alway so affable curteous that neuer might be noted in him one little fault Wherefore his Historians saye that he was the crowne of the Greekes the cléere mirrour of all the princes knights of the world Whence also this his Chronicle boroweth this title especially hauing therin to remember the meruailous deeds of the Knight of the Sunne with Rosicleer both sons vnto Trabatio Since whose time all the aduentures of the ancient famous knights wer clean forgotten and since whose time neither Vlisses of whome Homer speketh neither any other songs or sonets ballads or enterludes wer heard in Greece onely with these two Knights they were familiarly acquainted Of these they made great volumes and with a thousand deuises in verse they sang of their loue They made no building nor painture without some storie of them their memorie therein declared In such sort that you might passe by no parte of all Greece where was not recited sung or painted the histories noble déeds of these Knights as if no other thing but armes or loue were fitting for them And because that in the time to come so noble things shuld not be put in obliuion some of the Grecians compiled this noble Historie to the encouraging of all Nations that shall either heare or read this Historie The King of Hungarie pretending a title to the Empire setteth himselfe against the Emperor Trebatio Cap. 2. IT appeareth by an ancient Greeke Cronicle that the Emperour Helio the third predecessor in the Empire of Trebatio had two sonnes the eldest of the which two the father being deceased was chosen Emperour the other was married with a Princesse inheretrix of the kingdome of Hungarie wherby he became Lord ruler of that kingdome The first sonne which was elected for Emperour departed without issue For which cause the Grecians chose another which was the predecessor of Theodoro This séeing the second sonne of Aelio which then reigned in Hungary and iudging that with most reason the Empire was his as gréeued with the election he assembled his power against the Grecians thinking to be Lord ouer them by force In the ende as he was not so mightie as they so he was vanquished and slaine before he might attaine his purpose Yet from that time forth all the kings which succéeded in Hungary pretended alwaye that the right of the Empire rested in them by way of inheritaunce and there neuer failed warres dissentions betwéen the Hungarians and the Greekes vpon this occasion In lyke manner when the great Trebatio was chosen for Emperour then reigning in Hungarie the King Tiberio a verye strong man and of great courage besides of more might then all his auncestours For he had in his subiection beside the Kingdome of Hungary many other Prouinces as Holland Zeland Flaunders Zweueland Bauare Austrich Almaine Alba Denmarke Marcomandia Persia and other Regions with the which he déemed himselfe one of the mightiest Kings in the world This Tiberio knowing the election of the Emperour Trebatio and being more attached with the desire of the Empire then any of his predecessours were as it was to be gotten by warre so he assembled by summons the greatest of estate throughout his land and declaring vnto them his will he commaunded to gather all the people they might for to inuade Greece Besides this to the ende his power might yet be greater hée determined to marrie his Daughter vnto such a one as would and could maintaine his quarrell This Mayden was called Briana the most beautifull Princesse that was to be found in all those parts being by the onely report of hir excellencie sued vnto by manie worthie Princes especially by Prince Edward sonne of Olyuerio King of great Britaine This young Knight strong and valiant greatly enamoured on the Princesse Briana through the great fame of hir beautie had before dispatched his Ambassadors towards the King hir father to request hir for wife To the which hir Father because he hadde already vndertooke the battaile against the Emperour Trebatio easely condescended vpon condition that the Prince should come into Hungarie with 20000. chosen men of warre for to aids him in the pursute of his claime against the Emperour This when Prince Edward vnderstood he had so great desire to haue the Princesse Briana that by and by he granted his request and so as speedely as he might he gathered the people that the King Tiberio required of him and with the consent of his Father he departed from great Britaine toward Hungarie
perswading that it was no reason why shée shoulde not bewray hir child-bearing vnto the king hir father and the Quéene hir mother for that seeing it pleased God to giue you a childe by a lawfull husbande it were not amisse if it were knowen abroad be it sonne or daughter And saith she moreouer if God giue you a man childe Prince Edward thus perishing as we knowe no other this your childe is lawfull inheritour of great Britaine in the right of his Father the King now lyuing hauing no issue male Wherefore me thinkes you should doo him wrong seeing he hath lost his father to depriue him also his lawfull succession The Princesse aunswered Perswade me not to this good Clandestria for though the childe which shall be born of me should be Lord of the whole world I wold not tell this secrete to any bodie but to thée And if it shall please God that the Prince Edward shall sée vs once againe it shall suffice let him discouer it when he sées time If it fal out otherwise my sonne may well beare the losse of great Britaine and it be but to accompanie me in the losse of so worthy an husband Clandestria wold haue entred farther in this perswasion with the Princesse but séeing it would not be she gladly made offer of hir seruice Then sayde the Princes What doest thou think is best to be done in this thing The best which I can aduise you said the Gentlewoman is that you madame gouern the child so that it perish not in your wombe when the time of your trauaile shall be at hande that you faine vnto your Gentlewomen a solempne Fast and prayer fortie dayes without to be séene or visited of your Gentlewomen or any person sauing me whome you will haue to wayte on you onely for your necessarie repast The glasse which you shall set on it shall be this That you will pray to GOD for Prince Edward your husbande the shewe will bee credible inough by meanes of your life hetherto This wold I haue you doo madame for this cause take your lodging in one part of the house ioyning to the woode béeing verie good solitarie for this purpose If you be deliuered in this time I will conueigh it to a sister of mine lately married and dwelling in the Citie of Buda She bare a sonne about a month past and will nourse your childe carefully This counsell lyked well the Princesse because it was consonant to hir desire The Princesse now expecting the time of hir lieng down told hir gentlewomen that she had vndertaken a deuotion of fast and prayer and before she entred into this obseruaunce she said she would a little take hir rest eating and sleeping somewhat more then she was wont which in deed she did to preserue that which was in hir belly albeit it was well coloured by hir continuall sadnesse In this time the Quéene hir mother was brought to bed of a beautifull boye which much gladded all the kingdome his name was Liriamandro a noble Prince much aduauncing the honour of the Hungarians as shall be shewed you in his history But this childing of the Queene was very coÌ„modious for the Princesse for that when the Quéene was brought to bed she could not visit hir daughter at the monestarie as she was accustomed ¶ The Princesse Briana was deliuered of two sonnes Clandestria christeneth them and causeth them to be nurssed Cap. 12. THe Princesse as you haue heard liued somewhat contented after that she felt hir selfe to be with childe but yet not so but that hir coulour much abated and impaired hir beautie so driuing on hir daies vntill the approch of hir trauaile she now fained to begin hir voluntarie fast of fortie daies which she before had signified vnto them and withdrawing hir selfe into a chamber prouided for hir she forbad the entrie to all except onely Clandestria for hir table this they thought the Princesse had done vpon meere deuotion The same night after she was now professed a holye vowesse Clandestria tooke the â—eyes of the backe Gates belonging to her lodging and opening a doore into the woode shée passed by the fieldes to Buda standing but a mile off and entering into her sisters house secretly declared the cause of her comming desiring her to be as secret because the Princesse woulde in no wise haue it manifested shée willingly promised silence and withall departed with her towardes the Monestarie ere it was long they came before the Princes whom they found sitting alone not altogether voyde of breade as béeing vnacquainted with those pangs and heartely wishing for their comming as without knowledge to be her owne midwise When shée felt the fittes of her trauaile she was somewhat comforted with theyr comming and Clandestria with her sister enforced theyr dilligence to doe her seruice giuing themselues to prayer vntill it pleased God to manifest his works in this noble Princes She bare two sonnes so straunge and rare for beautie that the Gentlewomen not a little wondered and yet they were more mooued to sée the tokens which either of them brought seuerally from their mothers wombe For they marked well how that the first borne had vppon his left side a little face figured shining as bright as if it had bene a little Sunne and how that the other had in the middest betwéene his breasts a white Rose fashioned of so perfect making that it séemed to be gathered from some arbour of Roses Before they swadled them they layde the little boyes betwéene the Princesses armes comforting her with that that God had giuen her two so exellent children The mother full of paine with the trauaile which she had susteined as well as she could laieng them to her brests kissed and imbraced them with such loue and pittie that the teares trickled downe from her faire eyes and with a low and soft voice she sayd thus O my sonnes I beséech the Lord who hath made you so excéedingly faire to blesse you also with good happe that you may ease your mother of that sorrowe wherein shée remaineth as now plunged and that you prooue such as by your valours you may recouer that which your mother to couer her fault hath made you loose These and other wordes spake the Princesse weeping bitter teares vntill the nurse tooke the children from her bed to swaddle them in cloth bands to giue them her breast Now least peraduenture they should be heard to crie Clandestria sayde to the Princesse that it were good her sister should retourne to her owne house where she woulde bring vp the young Princes as carefully as if she were dayly in her presence The Princesse verie loth to part with her children badde her do notwithstanding what she would with them so that she baptised them ere they went for feare they shoulde perish in the way Let it be so madame said Clandestria for you haue said verie well The nurse then tooke water and powring it on their heads she
christned them in the name of God with other formall words of Baptisme as she could best doe Clandestria with a very good grace gaue names to the little boyes the first shée named Caualiero del Febo for the figure that she sawe in his left side néere vppon the heart the younger she called Rosicleer for the Rose betweene his breasts Of this the Princesse tooke some ioye sayeng she had giuen them names as they deserued The Nurse tooke leaue of the Princesse and with her husband which came on the waye and which had not stayed farre off shée got readily into Buda before broad light where she fostered these noble babes as carefully as her owne Clandestria after shée had shut fast the doores went vp again to the Princesse whome she found discomforted for her children The Gentlewoman pained her selfe to comfort her soberly spake vnto her in this sort O madame how vnthankfull are you to God for the great grace he hath bestowed on you in giuing you two sonnes of so excellent beautie and that with so little perill of your person I beléeue and holde for certaine that God hath not left you such sonnes neuer to knowe theyr Father nor made you such a Princesse neuer more to sée your husband The workes of God are wonderfull and that which wee thinke is set for our griefe and disease he tourneth to our commoditie what know you madame if God willing to preserue your husband hath by some aduenture brought him where he shall escape the great daungers and perills of death in which hée was hourely like to incurre in the battaile that the king your Father hath against Trebatio Good madame quiet your selfe God will bring him vnto you at such time when you shall be least mindfull of him And if you can so ill brooke the absence of your sonnes they are not hence but a mile the her may you send me when it pleaseth you to knowe of theyr welfare Thus Clandestria discoursed with her Lady the Princesse Briana still beating vpon this one point that she shuld rest her selfe vpon Gods prouidence and in the and shée so asswaged her griefe that she after well endured the fortye dayes penance In the end being better at ease and feeling her selfe more pleasauntly disposed withall as fresh as if she had neuer abode any childbed tooke her lodging among her Gentlewomen who seeing her so well and somewhat more merrie then before were gladde of that alteration for they loued her so heartely that they willingly would haue giuen their liues to haue redéemed her from that discontentment wherein she liued ¶ The king of Boheme raised the siege and the king of Hungarie returned the Princes knights into England Cap. 13. MAny hot bickerings there were betwéene the Emperours people and the king of Hungarie while the siege lasted against the citie of Belgrado but because the historie hath more to intreat of other especiall aduentures it remeÌ„breth not euery particular which happened in the skirmish It saith in effect that as those of the citie were many so they were well prouided of all furniture that the Greekes might not enter into the citie albeit many of them had done meruailons déeds in armes After one yeare was come gone the king of Boheme with all the principall of his hoast thought it best to raise the siege then lieng before the citie with bag baggage to march homeward to Constantinople to the ende to giue out a newe order for the finding of the Emperour So within two dayes they had all charge to packe and prepare themselues for their returne the souldiers not yet forgetting the losse of theyr Lorde which they shewed by their chéere The king of Boheme the Emperours vnckle well perceiuing it and knowing howe the good Emperour was wont to encourage and comfort them he tooke some paine in it at that time and being well setteled in Constantinople for the better pacifieng of all tumults the armie as yet not dispearsed he tooke vpon him the gouernment of the Empire in his Nephewes name at the humble suite of all the Emperialles after he prouided the best that he might for a new search of the Emperour swearing many good knightes vnto this enterprise Which lykewise the king of Hungarie did sende certaine newes into Englande and to haue some sufficient guide to conduct the armie homewardes at the end of two yeares all which time â—ee deteined the Souldiers vppon hope to finde their Captaine no newes being heard of him The King embarked them homewardes to greate Britaine with giftes and presents vnto the king of Englande and sufficient rewardes plentifully bestowed vppon the mainie ouer and aboue the due paiment of their wages This the liberalitie of the king profited him not a lyttle in other matters of greate importaunce as you shall vnderstande in this historie The knights thus shipped ready to departe were néere in number 20000. In fewe dayes they coasted Fraunce and entering in the narrowe Seas with a good wind they landed in great Britaine where soone their hanging countenances gaue testimonie to the heauie news they brought Which thing so sore appaled the whole Realme that of a long time after their comming there was not vsed any exercise in armes and the quéene dyed also adding to this mishape a new corsie This Quéene left behind her a daughter of young yeares named Oliuia so renowmed for her beautie that she well wanne to be loued and serued of the most loyall knight of all the world She was brought vp as being inheritrix to the state with great care by the king her Father ¶ Clandestria deuiseth with the Princesse Briana how her sonnes might be brought vp in her companie Cap 14. THE Princesse Briana liued no doubt better contented after her deliuerie of the two faire Boyes which she thought had béene Prince Edwardes and yet as I saye verie religiously as it had beene in a Cloyster for the reason so often alleadged Nowe yet somewhat there was which impaired this contentation which was the absence of her children This shée thought to repaire againe by bringing them vp in her owne lodging and hauing broken it vnto her Gentlewoman Clandestria whome she desired to finde the meanes for it Clandestria after conference had with her mistresse one day sayd vnto her that she had well foreséene the meane The Princesse then vrged her to vtter it which Clandestria deliuered in this speach Madame that which I haue thought in this matter is like That one day when I shall come from the Citie of Buda you shall demaunde of me what newes is there I will aunswere you among other thinges that a sister of mine hath two sonnes borne both in one daye so excellently faire that all the lookers on do not a little commend so goodly creatures They are borne moreouer with notable tokens which they bring from theyr mothers wombe You madame hearing this may say that you haue great desire to sée those straunge
giuing intelligence before vnto the King Tiberio of his comming The King knowing the succours which came vnto him appointed a daye when all his Hoast should méete together and finding himselfe of so great power in the meane while vntil the prince came he resolued to make a roade into Greece sacking all the little townes he might before that the Emperour Trebatio should perceiue it Afterwardes if the Emperour Trebatio should come to succour his subiects then to ioyne battayle with him at such time as the Prince shuld approch which thing he put in practise diligentlye For with that power which he had he entered into Greece forraging the countrey taking little townes of no great force burning wasting so much as he might to the intent that the people of other fenced Cities stroken with feare might abandon thēselues to flight enféeble their forces Howbeit King Tiberio had not passed in Greece xxx miles when the Emperour Trebatio hauing knowledge of it came agaynst him with an hoast of knights so valiant that at the first alarme the Hungarian reculed by the chase of his enimies was forced to retire home into the citie of Belgrado which is in Hungary Ther he fortified himselfe manned the towne vnwilling as yet to goe into the field vntill the Prince of great Britaine should arriue by whose comming their powers being ioyned he thought he might giue the battayle vnto the Emperour Trebatio Albeit he caried about him a mayme incurable in his bodie not by anie stroke lent him by his enimie but by the onely conceipt of the Emperours vertue For he had séene the Emperour demeane himselfe more worthely then any of those that came with him namely in a kinsman of his a very strong Knight whom the Emperour at one blowe as it were deuided in two péeces This as it might be made him kéepe his chamber because he himselfe confessed the valor of the Emperor to be aboue the report of men notwithstanding he had heard sufficiently of the Emperours prowesse But because these things are not mentioned but to giue beginning to this historie we run them briefly ouer not rehearsing the great déeds of armes that the Emperor and his people did in besieging the Citie because we haue other matters more noble in hand in comparison whereof these things wer néedlesse The storie héereof begins in the chapter following ¶ The Emperour Trebatio by the hearesay of hir beautie was surprised with the loue of the Princesse Briana ca. 3. CErtaine daies the Emperour Trebatio lay at the siege of Belgrado hoping that the King Tiberio would come out to giue them battaile for that he had great desire to be aduenged of the great harmes which he hadde receyued in Greece but the King would in no wise leaue the towne still abiding the comming of Prince Edward his armie out of England The Emperor meruailing much at it commanded a prisoner to be brought before him whom he had taken in the former battaile of him he demaunded the cause why the King Tiberio held himselfe so close with so many good knights mewed vp in the citie why he came not out to giue the battaile with promise of life libertie if he told troth otherwise the certaintie of most cruell death The prisoner thus placed before the Emperor what with feare of death and hope of libertie durst not declare other then the truth and therefore thus made aunswere vnto him Prisoners oration Know you mightie Emperour that when the King of Hungary my master first tooke vppon him the entrie into Greece he wold not haue done it although he hath so mightie an hoast as is séene but in hope that before he shuld be espied met withall there should come to his help Prince Edward sonne to the king of great Britaine with 20000. knights This number was promised vpon condition that the Prince should haue the Kings daughter the Princesse Briana to wife which Princesse I beléeue is the fairest maid in all the world by such fame the prince is become enamored of hir so as we heare that he is already departed from great Britaine with the number appointed and shall take landing very soone in this country the King Tiberio abideth his comming and is determined to giue the onset as soone as their forces shall be vnited This sayd the prisoner but the Emperour minding to knowe more of the matter demaunded of him where the Princesse Briana remained and of what age she might be The prisoner aunswered him My Lord she is with the Quéene Augusta hir mother in the Monestarie of the Riuer which is néere Buda a pleasaunt and delectable house wherin none are lodged but Nunnes the Quéenes Gentlewomen The Princesse is of the age of 14. yeares be assured that so many as shall sée hir will iudge hir rather a goddes then a woman so much hir beautie doth excel all the gentlewomen of the world Now so soone as the Prince shall land he will straight waies take his iourny towards the Monestarie of the riuer because it is so appoynted by the King hir father The King himselfe will not be there because he will not be absent in such a busie time from the Citie When the prisoner had thus sayd the Emperour Trebatio commaunded him to be set frée without speaking other thing to his people but with a sorrowfull troubled countenaunce he withdrew himselfe into a secret chamber of his Imperiall tent Where tossing in his conceit diuers sundrie fancies he endured a wilfull imprisonment with out any baile or maynprise Thus that force which neither by till turney nor barriers neither by speare nor sworde neither by mallice of the enimie nor pride of the mightie might at anie time be subdued was now vanquished by the onely heare-say of a Gentlewomans commendation Nay the valiant heart which he held forcible inough against all the world failed in his owne defence against a delicate damzell whom he had neuer séene What force is it that may repulse this euill sith that with such flattering closes it ouerthroweth so many noble hearts and strong bodies But to returne the Emperour Trebatio so much burned in loue with the Princes Briana that alreadie he hath forgotten the damage receiued in his Countrey his trauaile out of his Countrey with a huge armie the consuming of his treasure for to wreake his anger on the King Tiberio onely he deuised vpon this how to giue remedie vnto to his amorous passion For as the fire was great which enflamed him so was the remedie by all semblaunce farre from him Because that on the one part he was hindred by the enmitie betwéene him and hir father so that he durst not require hir for wife and on the other side she was alredy promised to the Prince of great Britaine who had put himselfe on his iourney for the attaining of hir person so that likewise the King could not take hir from him to giue vnto his
knights as soone as these were within their reach laid hold on their bridels and with curteous words staied them vntill the other two knights of the Kings had talked with them These two declared vnto the other that which had happened betwéen Prince Edward and the Emperour Trebatio and in the ende made plaine the meaning of the Emperour both praieng them to kéepe it secrete and threatning them with death if they did otherwise No doubt they wondred at that which chaunced but what the Emperour would that they promised him and were nothing repentaunt of their exchaunge The Emperour being assertained of their faith went with them towards the Monestary of the riuer whervnto being come they found not in the Monestarie but the Q. the Princesse and other Gentlewomen being seruitors to attend vpon them and the Archbishop of Belgrado which there taried for to ensure them This Archbishop receyued the Emperour at the gate and thinking him assuredlye to be the prince of England conducted him with his knights where the Quéene and the Princes were in the companie of beautifull and discréete Ladies abiding his comming When they had saluted each other and that the Emperor had taken a full view of the Princesse he was greatly abashed to see hir beautie for he coulde not be perswaded that so great comelinesse had bene in Helene although dearelye bought by his auncestors he iudged it more heauenlye or angelicall then humane or earthly besides she was of a goodly stature excelling the other Gentlewomen in height a spâ—n The Princesse when she saw the Emperor before hir she iudged him to be goodliest knight that might be in the world which his beautiful face pleasant countenance shewed especially When thus by the eyes each of them were indifferently satisfied the Emperor would haue kissed the hande of the Quéene Augusta but she with great good will imbraced him By and by turning himselfe again towards the Princesse he tooke hir by the hand and sayde in effect thus much The fame of your great beautie excellent Princesse hath in such sort passed through the world that the onelye report thereof hath forced the Prince of England to leaue his natural Kingdome and soyle to come and serue you in this Countrey and to beholde with his owne eyes that which his eares would scarcely beléeue God hath made me so fortunate that I haue obtained the good wil of the king your father of the Quéene your mother for to haue you to wife Only now I want the consent of your part which the King by his letters prayeth you to giue me and I for the desire that I haue to be yours beséech you not denie it me for with it I may account my self the happiest knight of all the worlde And with these wordes kissing the Kings letters he deliuered it into hir handes which the Princesse receyuing with a graue and sober countenaunce and after taking it to the Archbishoppe for to read the meane time made aunswere softly on this wise I wold to God most worthy Prince that I were such a one as with reason might deserue some part of the paines which you haue taken onely to sée me or that I might in some little respect recompence the great pleasure you haue done to me to all this kingdome in coÌ„ming to succor vs with your great force and power but sith desert doth want so much in me I will accomplish that which the duetie of obedience vnto the King my father forceth me vnto for that I must subiect my will vnto his commandement yet I so consider of this your offer and request as that from this time I will dare to compare with you in like happinesse While these words were in speaking the Archbishop began to read the Kings letters wherein onely was contained his consent with the desire of dispatch that presentlie vpon the Princes comming they should be married The Archbishop with both their consents taking their hands married them with all the ceremonies and wordes which the Church ordeineth After this the Emperor imbraced the faire Princesse and with vnspeakable gladnesse kissed hir on the white and red chéekes and from thence brought hir into a gorgeous chamber where they draue forth the rest of the day with very amorous and delectable talke which so much the more set his loue on fire as hée procéeded farther in his pleasaunt daliaunce Albeit ere night the most puisant Emperor was not altogether quieted in his thought for feare least some one which knewe the Prince might haue bewrayed them at length béeing certaine that none in the Monestarie had séene either the one or the other but onely the Kings foure knights his own men which kept the matter close inough When the houre of supper approched he supped with some pleasure so held on a great part of the night till it was time to take his rest Then the Emperour was ledde to one side of the Monestarie wherein there was a rich and stately lodging where he lengthened the night with manye fancies not hauing as yet reached into the very deapth of his enterprise albeit stilled a lyttle with that which alreadye had happened The beautifull Princesse after leaue taken of the Emperour accompanied the Quéene hir Mother Because vntill that the warre was ended betwéene the King hir Father and the Emperour she was desirous to kéepe hir selfe vnknown and so the king hir father and the Quéene hir mother had commaunded least if ought should happen amisse to the Prince in those battailes the Princes should haue remained both a maiden and a widdowe this deuise little auailed as shall be manifested in the sequele ¶ The Emperour Trebatio driueth in his conceit the order how to consummate the marriage which in the end he bringeth to passe accordingly Cap. 7. THE Emperour Trebatio remained thrée dayes in the Monestarie of the riuer not hauing opportunitie to talke with the Princesse alone because she was not willing to giue consent to his desire vntil the warre with the Emperour should be finished This inconuenience trobled his thought and increased his melancholy as nothing more for that the terme which the King had set for his returne was alreadie expired and béeing afrayde leaste the King would send for him whereby his fault should be discouered without giuing remedie to that which had bene the originall of his griefe in such wise he was tormented that he could neither sléepe nor eate And in his imagination he did naught els but gaze on the Princesse expecting time when he might alaie the heate of his amorous passion But whether it were Fortune or the will of God it fel so out that there was begotten betwéene them the fruite of their desire For one morning walking in his chamber he espied out of a windowe the Princesse alone in hir night gowne going towards a fresh and pleasant garden butting vpon his lodging the gardein before he had not séene Into this gardein entered none but the Princesse
Thus they fought halfe an houre and no man might iudge who should haue the better The great rouer strake with all his force at his enimie but the finall houre of his owne lyfe nowâ— edging néere him so it was that the couragious Prince anoided it and as he was alreadie entered into the good successe of his voyage hauing in his power the Gentleman of the Sunne so fired all with wrath his coulour as a man might say bewraieng his cholar hée gaue the rouer with both his hands such a blowe vppon the head that he felled him to the ground and before the rouer might get on his knées he gaue him another betwéene his helmet and his necke péece and laide him flat vpon the planks of the ship There the wretched Mambriniano with his gluttenous desire spit out his stinking and corrupted spirit and the noble Florion rested not héere but with a braue stout courage entered in the ship and laid about him on both sides The knights of the rouer to reuenge their Lords death wounded him on all parts but by by there boorded them twentie knights of the Prince all chosen men of warre and helped their Lord in such wise that in short time the greatest parte of theyr enimyes were slaine and the rest séeing their fall yeelded themselues to his mercie The battayle thus ended the Prince woulde sée what was in the ship for he beléeued that there was within great riches according as the dealings of the rouer had ben There was much treasure found but searching euery place of it they founde in a cabbin a knight of an indifferent age clothed with rich garmentes and by his graue countenaunce seeming to be of good account and néere vnto him a young Gentleman of foure or fiue yeres olde verie beautifull and seemely arayed in cloth of golde and about his necke a coller of golde set with rich and precious stones The young Gentleman was so gracious in behauiour that if Florion had not before seene the Gentleman of the Sunne hee had beleeued him to be the fairest and proprest Gentleman that euer hée had séene and desiring to knowe who they were he saluted them curteouslys willing the knight to tell him who they were He which had alreadie knowen Florions greate vertue in the battaile that hée had with the rouer rose with the young Gentleman from the place where hée was set and vsing an humble duetie to him aunswered Sir knight I am a prisoner to the rouer Mambriniano which tooke me and this young Gentleman at a place néere a hauen of the Sea and sith God by Fortune hath béene so fauourable vnto you that in a righteous battayle you haue slaine him wée remaine now for yours to doe with vs that which shall séeme best vnto you and we haue good hope that with a knight of so greate valour there cannot happen vnto vs so much euill as with him which tooke vs prisoners The Prince accepted well that which he sayde vnto him and prayed him to goe on in declaring who hée was for that by lacke of knowledge hée might forslacke to doe to them the honour that they merited Albet nowe the knight wished that hée might dissemble it for the daunger that might ensue yet in the ende putting his affiaunce in the Prince he sayde vnto him Sith it liketh you sir knight to know who we be onely to please you I will tell it you though I woulde gladly haue suppressed our names till Fortune somewhat more friendly vnto vs shoulde haue bewrayed it But knowe you that this young Gentleman is called Claueryndo and is the sonne of the king Oristeo King of Fraunce onely inheritour and successour of that great kingdome and I haue to name Armineo béeing brother to the king Oristeo and vnkle to this young Gentleman The whole order of this misfortune was in this sorte One daye for to sporte our selues in the company of many other knights we rode to a faire forrest néere vnto the Sea and the Knights which came with vs the most of them delighting in hunting seuered themselues for their disport in such manner that the young Gentleman and I with onely ten knights wer lest in a fresh and faire arbour about a well neere adioyning vnto the Sea In this time while our knights followed their game this great Rouer Mambriniano whether espieng vs or by chaunce taking land for fresh water wee knowe not but with more then twentie knights he beset vs and although we defended our selues some time in the end this Gentleman and I were taken prisoners and our ten knights slaine sore wounded before the other knights which hunted in the forrest might vnderstande of it He caried vs to his ships where it is more then a month that we haue bene in this manner as you haue séene vs close pent vp in this cage For my selfe Sir as I neuer hope for libertie so I respect not my imprisonment but for this faire young Gentleman my heart is sore wounded I had rather suffer ten deaths then any such misfortune shoulde happen to him Because that when such newes shall bée reported to his father he will beare it more impatientlye than his owne and that which worst is to me onely will he attribute this fault sith hauing committed his onely sonne to my gouernance I haue giuen so ill account of him Vnto these words the knight lent manie a teare sliding downe his face which well shewed the griefe he bore in hart The prince Florion in great compassion comforted him promising libertie of returne into his country when but by and by remembring the wordes which the wise man his vnckle had sayd he called it backe againe and in steede of his first promise he tourned his tale to the narration of his owne mishaps being on this wise I thancke you heartely for your courtesie in recounting to mée the whole discourse of your imprisonment and of this young Gentlemans captiuitie and I call the high Gods to witnesse what paine your misfortune hath caused in me and how ready my power shall be to remedie it when I maye For I meane toâ—giue you libertie of returne and with my men to conduct you homewards into Fraunce thus much occosioned in me by the deserts of your estate But fortune hath bene so contrary to me that except your retourne bée delayed I my selfe shall want my necessary help the whole state of the matter lyeng thus if it so please you to heare I am by name Florion king of Persia my father deceasing which was king thereof and so by iust title as to his onely sonne and heire the crowne of the kingdome descended to me This charge I sustained in mine owne person a good while but being young and lustie and in good age to follow armes I was desirous to wander in the world So leauing a gouernour in my kingdome I trauailed through diuers countries vntill the ende of thrée yeares at which I tooke ouer into Babylon where
so well as I haue knowne no knight in his perfection matchable And truely this is the accomplishment of your first aduenture as my brother foreséeing it told me that you should rescew mée my daughters from death or imprisonment and I hope as well in the immortall Gods that the second shall be likewise finished that is the kingdome of Persia se long withheld by a false vsurper may by you be redeliuered to the Prince Florion My Lord aunswered Donzel del Febo I haue not as yet done the thing in your seruice neither in my life may hope to compassie which may counterpaise with my good will in this behalfe and truely the dutie which I owe to your good grace my Lord to the Prince Florion to my Lady the Princesse your daughter daily so augmenteth as more then that duetie I cannot owe vnto my father to the discharge wherof notwithstanding I stand bounden to your goodnesse not onely of curtesie but in conscience so humbled himselfe before the Souldan but the Souldan againe embraced him they two helped the Ladies out of the chariot The Ladies were desirous to knowe who the gyant was and what shuld be the cause why he so assailed them Therfore the Souldan the Gentleman of the Sun made toward the knight of the Gyants which was falne to the grounde and as they tooke of his helmet to giue him ayre they fetcht him out of his sounde and setting him on his féete they demaunded of him who the Gyaunt was and why he came to take them prisoners The knight séeing it behoued him to say the troth made answere shortly thus You shall vnderstand my Lordes that this Gyant was called Brandafileo Lorde of the towred Ilande which is in the great Ocean at the mouth of the redde Sea This Ilande is so strong and inuinsible that béeing within hée néede not feare all the worlde if they had bent their force against him and béeing proude vpon the safetie of this Ilande he did much wrong to the nations rounde about him spoiling and robbing all Arabians Aethiopians Aegyptians and the Garamantes of Inde and finally so many as he might come by in the great West seas and so the Ilande of Traprobane and by long continaunce in this trade of rouing hée is become so rich of captiues and treasure that no Iland is comperable with his Nowe the cause wherefore he came into this your land was for that in the time that the mightie Orixerges your father reigned in Persia the father of the Gyant called Briontes then béeing Lorde of the towred Ilande by occasion of Briontes euill lyfe your Father and he fell at variaunce wherefore the king your Father sent out his whole nauie to subdue this Iland but being not able to conquere it he gaue them notwithstanding in charge to lye in the out créekes awaiting when he came forth from the Iland so to set vpon them One time the Gyant making a road out for a lyke cheuisance a farre off from his owne Iland the king your Father dogged him with his shippes and as he returned met him in the halfe turne and for all the hauocke he and his made of your fathers souldiers in the ende killed him This Brandafileo his sonne then being a childe of tender age yet so soone as he was of yeares to be made knight he greatly longed after the reuenge of his fathers death because he could not worke his mischiefe on the king Orixerges béeing then dead at the least it would ease his stomacke if he might wreake himselfe on you his sonne and for this cause many times hée hath sent spyes into your land to be aduised by them when he might haue opportunitie of vengeance learning of your comming to this forrest for your disport he hath now laine more then a month in secret expectation of so good lucke as to take your person This time he had founde to his contentation had not this Gentleman ben who now hath made sufficient paye to Brandafileo for his months hire This is all my Lorde which I can tell you as to your demaund and it is truth which I haue tolde you as I certeinly beléeue that if euer he had cleane carried you from hence you should not haue escaped from death or bondage for so hée had determined The Souldan mused at that which the knight had told him waieng the great danger wherein he was like to haue falne he ceased not to giue thanks to his Gods to the gentleman of the Sun for his safety At this time Prince Floriō came with more then 30. knights running theyr horses so fast as they might because alreadie they had hearde the newes comming wher the Gyant lay dead viewing well the wide mortall wound they highly commended of it and ceuld not iudge by whom he had receiued it but very ioyfull to sée the Souldan his Princesse out of daunger leaping from their horses they came towards them Then Florion excusing his long absence by the ignoraunce of the fact desired to know who he was which had so gently bailed them from the Gyaunt The Souldan aunswered on this sort Ah Florion Florion now we knowe your vnckle Lyrgandeos diuinations as touching this Gentleman of the Sunne to be sooth and stedfast for we haue well approued his valour and knowe that he alone béeing the onely man which came to succour vs brought to ground the giant Brandafileo by one onely blow with his bore speare riuetting as you see his coat armour and ridding vs from so daungerous a foe making his enteraunce to knighthoode the straungest that euer was heard Florion giuing backe either as wondering or not crediting his vnckles speach was still vrged by the Souldan who tolde on forward as Brandafileos knight had confessed Florion yet as it were halfe in a mammering which part to take betwéene the Gentlemans youth and his courage disputed rather the impossibilitie by meanes of the hugenesse of the Gyant his strong armour and the number of his knights in the end he ouercame himselfe by remembrance of Lyrgandeos reporte and thanked the Gentleman on this wise O my right noble and beloued sonne I graunt that that not my force but the mightie windes and swelling waues by the ordinaunce of my Gods haue giuen mée power ouer you for that by your souereigne bountye the wrong which is done to me by the tyraunt shall be reuenged and I shall recouer mine owne kingdome O how happie was the daye and the houre fortunate in which I found you sith my Gods haue reserued you for so great benefiter towardes me and the release of mine vnckle with these and many other words Florion wept for great pleasure to thinke of Donzels magnanimitie And in this time the other young Gentlemen his companions came riding from hunting and sawe the fierce Gyaunt lye dead by the waye they enquired after the manner of his death and hearing it to be as you haue
remedie of satisfieng When Rosicleer had thus sayd the Princesse féeling alreadie in him the heroycall stomack of his father Prince Edward as she thought and callyng to minde the continuall casualties of knights arrant burst into feares in great abundaunce which occasioned great ruth in the young Rosicleer but that he durst not demand the reason After a while the Princesse to with-drawe hir sonne from his thought or by some meanes to remiâ— his griefe and to comfort him stretching hir armes ouer his necke sayd vnto him O my sonne Rosicleer already thy valiant heart doth manifest that which so long time for mine honestie sake I haue concealed this it is that thou art the sonne of my Lord and lawfull husband the Prince Edward begotten in wedlock but my Parents vnwitting there-vnto Thy fathers lykenesse in other qualities thou dost well resemble albeit his fauour is cleane out of my remembraunce Thou canst not be content with the lyfe which thou now leadest voyde of all daunger but couetest to be made Knight and to ieoparde thy person in the search of aduentures as thy father did This if thou doest so that I may not beholde thée euery daye from that time make account of me as dead for my great misfortunes together with the double losse both of thy Father and thy Brother in that order as thou hast knowen hath by thy onely presence bene borne out and supported and nowe depriued of this supporte must I not yéelde my backe to the burthen of continuall woe and misliking Beholde then my childe the extreame griefe where-in thou findest me and for that as yet thou arte young of yeares doo away this affection for a time and héere-after when thou shalte bee of more strength and better able to vndertake the enterprise of armes I will so trauaile with the King my Lord that he shall dubbe thée Knight and thou shalt haue Horse and Harnesse at my charges conformable to thy estate In the meane while reste thée héere for it may so be that I shall in that time beare some newes of the prince Edward or of Donzel del Febo which if it so fall out then shall thy absence be lesse grieuous vnto me When Rosicleer heard the secret which the Princesse his mother bewrayed vnto him he was well apayed as touching his thought of being made knight before the basenesse of his foster-father hanging in his light and now he reckned the rather to vnder-take the highest exployts whereto his heart draue him and knéeling downe before hir he kissed hir hand for the secrecie which she concionated with him touching his true originall His mother by the outward ioy he made supposing his former thought to be put out of conceit was very glad but the Princes was deceiued in him For Rosicleer hearing himselfe to be named the sonne of so mightie Princes if before he wished to be made knight either of a wanton delight or for some greater occasion now he thristed gréedely after knighthood as thinking himselfe bound in conscience to aduaunce his lignage in the right of his parents and his care encreased how to steale from thence This care he couered the best wayes that he might and stayed with his mother comforting hir in all that he could vntill that the Princesse went to hir lodging and he retourned with Leonardo who onely heard that which the Princesse had declared But from that time foorth as I say he canuased in his thought too fro the secrete meanes of his escape which hée thought though perhaps at first it might wring some teares from so tender a Princesse yet in processe of time would as wel drie them vp his valour making amendes for his sodaine departure ¶ Rosicleer departed from the Monestarie of the Riuer without the knowledge of the Princesse his mother Cap. 28. LIght daies after Rosicleer knew himselfe to bée the sonne of the Princesse his Lady he abode with Leonardo casting how he might conuay himselfe from thence without the knowledge of any man In the end one night all the householde being on sleepe his lodging standing in one corner seuered from the Gentlewomens chamber hee toke a sword which his nurse had giuen him and out of a window looking into the gardeine he daulted downe and comming to the porters lodge he requested an horse of him whereon sometimes before he had ridden saieng vnto him that his Ladie the princesse had sent him on a secret message The Porter beléeued him sadled an horse commending Rosicleer to God who from thence rode so fast that by the morrow he was beyond hiew crie Before noone the princesse sent for him but he could not be found then the Princesse gessing what it might be was so sorrowfull that it little failed of her death which assuredly she had not auoided but that there came to her remembrance then that which the Nymph had fortolde her in the fountaine of her loues as concerning her losses and so with some little lingering hope for the returne of Fortune banishing all delyghtes she shut her selfe vp close in the Monasterie more like an obseruant vowesse then a stately Princesse whence also shée neuer departed vntill that God had permitted her to recouer her husband as shall be tolde you But to returne vnto Rosicleer being neither sicke nor well at ease betwéene the concert of his mothers griefe and the hope of being made knight by some aduenture He gaue himselfe vnto the quest of séeking Prince Edwarde and Donzel del Febo his brother and therefore his intent was to passe into great Britaine to sée the king Oliuerio his grandfather as hée had heard and by some good happe to be made Knight In this iourney he made to greate hast that in short space he eâ—â—â—â—ed into Almaine there trauailing by the ignoraunce or the way one daâ—e he lost himselfe amongst the mountaines which were thicke of tall woode and other lower huske séeming to hée no waye vnto him and he strayed so long not finding his way that the Sunne was set ere he knew how to get out wherefore hauing no other remedie he climbed vp to the toppe thereof to take a view of the place on each side and hée sawe beneath him a déepe and large valley as it were a mile from thence enuironed with stéepe and high hills in which there were some castles and other buildings verie fayre and goodly Nowe that it was night and that this was his onely refuge hée made his horse easily descende the hill at the foote whereof hée esâ—yed a sauage Beare running from the Towne with a childe in his mouth of two yeares olde The childe cryed so pittifully that Rosicleer tooke greate compassion of it and seeing it euen at the point to be deuoured he ranne his horse with greate furie towardes the Beare The Beare nothing afrighted at the noyse of the horse stood still with his praye in his mouth and hée so glared with his eyes setting his formost pawes for his defence
fell him to the ground with his elbowes This was no greate misfortune to Rosicleer for albeit hée was faine to bowe his knées by the thrust of the Gyants elbowes yet couching his bodie closely his chaunce was so good as to fasten vppon the hilts of Quéene Iulias Swoord which hée drewe out the scabberd remaining at the Gyaunts side Rosicleer now béeing ceased of the swoord stept from Candramarte and called vpon him on this wise Candramarte now thou shalt sée who shall haue the worst bargaine of quéene Iulias swoord sith on euen handes we shall try this combat with this remembring the Gyants former pride he laid at the gyant so thicke and so sure that in short space the bloud ranne from the Gyaunt in more then tenne places for the swoord was excéeding sharpe and Rosicleer as fell and venimous Nowe maye you thinke that the mayden séeing the Swoorde bared by the Knight was the gladdest woman in the earth and that the king with other Princes and knights thanked God heartely for prouiding Rosicleer of a weapon the sooner to put ende to the battaile But the Gyaunt assaulted so sore by Rosicleer and wounded so daungerously began wholy is mistrust the Prophesie of the Swoord and to dispayre of the victorie and as in such cases wan hope is aduenturous so his armour béeing rent the habergion vnmayled and all the riuetring out of order for that cause the Gyant would néedes put the tryall of the challenge vpon one blowe When this blowe was reached as farre as the Gyaunt might to haue descended with more violence vpon Rosicleers head péece Rosicleer béeing more quicke then he met the blowe crosse wayes that hée cut off both the Gyauntes armes harde by the elbowes The Gyant thus maimed yelling out a loathsome crie reuiled and railed on Rosicleer as a man distraught and that which most increased his paine was not the torment of his disfigured armes but either the shame of the victorie or the enuie at Rosicleer but Rosicleer making little account of him tooke the Scabbard from his side and so lefte him Candramarte still followed blaspheming and cursing both God and man and when he coulde neither bee his owne executioner nor procure another to take the paines sware that for sparing his death he woulde deuise all the mischiefe he might against Rosicleer and that he would practise his death also if possiblie he could inuent the meanes But truely if I had bene in Rosicleers case I shoulde not haue béene so straunge séeing that both it shoulde haue bene the Gyants last request and so little encomberaunce to wardes mée But the king Princes and knightes were so toyous of the victorie against the Gyaunt as they bare countenaunce of more ioy outwardly then they had earst receiued euerie one openly desiring to sée him vnarmed but chiefly Bargandel and Liriamandro being in some iealousie of the knight whom they had found a friend ere they looked for supposing that peraduenture hée was Rosicleer of whome the sodeine aduenture in the Sea had berefte them And Quéene Iulias Gentlewoman séeing the combat tryed and the aduenturer of the Swoord atchieued concluding thereby that this was he for whom she had made so long a iourney saluted him curteouslye with his ambassade Now that it is euident noble Knight that you are the person for whose helpe this swoorde was framed by my mistresse I am to certifie that my Ladie gréeteth you by me and giueth you warning that for her sake you must mainteine the fight with two braue gyants ioyntly combattant against you onely For this she hath sent you this swoord the commendation wherof albeit not vnknowen lieth in the continuall proofe which she requesteth you neuer to forsake for it will much further you in your enterprises Whereto I beséech you giue credit deale effectually as she hath hope in you But now giue me the sword that I may beare it to the king and the other Princes that they may iustifie the truth of my former auouch So Rosicleer deliuered the swoorde into her handes with the sheath which the Gentlewoman brought before the King and the knights then present which all attempted the pulling out but coulde not doe it as if the scabbard had béene a péece of the same mettall whereof the Swoord was and not seuered by edge or toole which made them all confesse that to the new knight it was proposed and to him apperteined the fight with the two Gyants for the franchising of quéene Iulia. The king redeliuered the swoorde into the Gentlewomans handes and bad her yéelde it againe to Rosicleer which she did taking her leaue of him receiued this for aunswere That he recommended himselfe vnto her good grace heartely thanking her for so great care ouer him as to prouide a sword whereof he had néed as her selfe can witnesse and for the rest he promised not to faile her as he was true knight to God and the worlds The Gentlewoman with this recommaunde gallopped awaie as fast as her palfraie might carrie her the whilest Candramartes knightes remooued their Lorde out of that place into his Tent whence afterwarde with great griefe for his sore maime they conuaied him into his Iland wherein hauing setled himselfe as mindfull of his oath he neuer lefte from imagining of craftie meanes and coining new pollicies to bring Rosicleer to the death When Candramarte was carried into his Tent Rosicleer mounting vpon his horse tooke a greate Speare in his hande and stoode at the lists ende thinking that some knight would come against him but they were all so schooled with the sight of this last victorie that neuer a Knight shewed himselfe Wherefore the King commaunded to sound the Trumpet to procéede vnto the disposing of the rewardes for theyr trauaile An Heralde demaunding alowde who had done best they all referred the prices to Rosicleer The King woulde not contende with them but sayth be I will that my daughter haue the bestowing of them where she best liketh as touching this tourney She with much shamefastnesse which her couloured chéekes bewrayed accepted the charge and taking the crowne with the choller in her hande she caused the newe Knight to hée called before her who burning in loue towardes her no lesse then shée was seruent in lyking towardes him dismounted at the first call and betwéene the two Princes Bargandel and Liriamandro mounted vp the Scaffolde where the beautifull Princesse was before whome he appeared with greater feare arising of his conceit concerning his indignitie then earst attached him in the fight with Candramarte without a weapon The two Princes comming before Oliuia made their humble obeysaunce and Rosicleer knéeled downe The Princesse with a good grace bending to euery one of them spake to Rosicleer You knowe new knight what charge the king my Father hath layde vpon mée although farre more honourable then I am able to susteine yet by mée assumed neither to resist his will nor yet against my desire for it is
excellencie of the workmanship Againe was there euer one in such credite for honestie and wisedome as Socrates the sonne of a base midwife Euripides one of the rarest men that euer were in tragicall Poems was borne of meane parentage Demosthenes the flower of Gréeke eloquence was a Cutlers sonne Horatius the Poet borne of a bond woman which had bene taken prisoner and yet all these preferred for their vertuous qualities before Kings and Princes Cicero could not dissemble his progenie and yet was he lifted vnto the Consulship in Rome neuer prooued other Consull so commodious for the common welth Serramus and Cnimatus wise men and throughly exercised in their enimies land were Consulls in Rome and delyuered their Countrey from spoyle and pillage And if for a matter pertaining to a Kingdome we had rather take example of Kings let vs sée if meane estate hath bene any let for men to aspire vnto mightie Kingdomes and by name let vs take a more particular surnaye of the third fourth fifth and sixt King of Rome First Tullus Hostilius had his cradle in a shepheardes cottage and his bringing vp in the wide field Then the two Tarquins were sonnes to a Marchant and exiled their Countrey Seruius Tullius was sonne to a bond-woman as his name importeth all which notwithstanding in theyr times were Kings of Rome and if from thence wée take our waye to other Nations rounde about what a flocke of shepheards surgeons labouring men founders and such lyke seruile occupations shall we méese which â—â—pyred to the highest place of gouernment in their Countreyes Alexander a crowned King was a Gardeiners sonne Pertinax Emperour of Rome borne of a slaue which lyued by thrashing of graine and fellyng of woode Seuerus the seauenth Emperour of Rome was bredde and brought vp amongst Surgions and these of the meanest sort Agathocles King of Sicile sonne to a potter Maximianus and Maximus chiefe men of the Empire the one of base birth the other doubtfull whether a Smith or a Carpenter and yet neither barrell better Herring Vespasianus which was called the good Emperour rose from lord degrée and by his vertue blotted out the infamie of his progenie And to haue more notable testimonies who was father vnto the great Caesar Augustus the ruler of the world Virgil in a iest made him a Bakers sonne but his owne minde misgaue him otherwise As for a truth farre worse be they which rife to glorie from the mislyking of their parents like as Hercules Perseus and Iugurtha the King of Numidia all begotten in adulterye and lykewise mightie Alexander King of Macedon as concerning whome his Father Philip on his death bedde denyed him to be his sonne by the report of his mother Olympia for which cause after his Fathers death he would needes bée called the sonne of Iupiter Ammon Constantine the Emperour was borne of a young maide before lawfull espousalles and Iepthah in the Scriptures was sonne to a harlot Or if you will Madame that for lyke examples we runne ouer the histories where-vnto my wit can not carrie me in so sodaine speach yet I remember that fewe yeares since there dyed in Spayne a stout king of the Goths called Bamba which as I haue hearde was a labouring man and at that time when he was to be crowned King was faine to sticke his spade in the ground to receiue the scepter beeing neither lesse feared than his predecessoures and not reserued by me to the last place as one of least credite among others Remember your selfe of the great king Arthur your progenitor of whom with your graces leaue I doo not thinke that men of mallyce doubted whose sonne hée was And we maye boldly speake of these and other things so long agone passed without suspect of mislyked affection But why meruaile we at these things Doth not the wise man saye that if our lyfe were long we should see many Kings become bond-men and of many bond-men crowned Kings the reason béeing the same as I haue rebearsed that in elder age the onely Heraulde to pronounce a man either noble or vnnoble was his owne good déedes which aduaunced his good name and renowme aboue the inferiour déedes of Kinges of Princes But to paint out the pride of our times let vs cast down our eyes to the first roote from whence we all toke our beginning shall we not finde it all one for all men Marry in the bodie of this trée there are many braunches some higher and some onely water boughes from whome the toppe boughes kéepe off the comfort both of Sunne and showres yet no man I trow will be so enuious as to hinder the growth of the inferiour if they be more faythfull then the superiour as not alwayes the tallest men doe the best seruice and the best borne for wealth or myght proue not the best alwayes for manners and worshippe Witnesse héereto the sonnes of Scipio and Marcus Aurelius of which two descended two peruerse impes far more infamous then their parents were famous And there are infinit mo likewise to improue the succession of vertue in the succession of inheritaunce And yet for all this long discourse I cannot choose but reserue my former purpose towardes you for I am afraide that the most parte will not bée of my iudgement In a worde therefore to make an end in that wherewith be first beganne you must consider both by what meanes and for what causes the times are altered and therevpon take aduise according to the time And sith that for our sinnes God hath giuen vs ouer to a wrong iudgement in matters of high estate rather to preferre wealth then vertue and sith you are nowe fallen vnto that time wherein this errour generally hath ouergrowen the truth and is strengthened by consent of men I would counsayle you to yéelde vnto the time that is to take it as you finde it and to make the best of your chaunce for it were great folly for you and no lesse daunger to resist a multitude and you knowe your friendes will neuer be brought to estéeme so highly of vertue in a base personage although a precious stone canne neuer be but precious whether set in Lead or Copper You must forsake him then and that is the onely remedie for according as I haue read and haue hearde the first remedie agaynst a fit of loue is to exempt our selues from the companye of the beloued and to shunne and eschewe the thinges which may bring it againe to our remembraunce the nexte is to driue in our thoughtes the things which be contrarie therevnto as to thinke with howe many breaches of sléepe and with what continuall care wée desire a thing eyther stithie or vnlawfully coueted or at the least wise transitorie though neuer so honest with all to set before our eyes what harmes what robberies what murthers what madnesse it hath caused in the world whereof there be too many histories but yet from all this you may well signise your selfe if you
I my selfe in the meane while stealing by the shore side recouered this little boate wherein I was scarcelye entered when I saw a farre off my Parents and my husbande ledde away prisoners I thinke they cannot iustlye gesse whether I am gone But after that I was in the boate I met with manye which came from the instes at London They séeing my heauie chéere demaunded the cause and when they vnderstood it they directed me to enquire after a newe Knight in the lande for he alone saye they is able to vndoo this iniurie You heare sir both the cause of my care and the occasion of comming into this Country to you sir now sir knight if my ruth may work any compassion or that you thinke I haue cause to complayne doo your best to amend my harme you shall doo double iustice in restoring the wronged and in punishing the wicked dooer Rosicleer féeling a yerning in his minde against so vnlawfull a practise if hir tale were true badde hir take hir boate againe for be would hazarde his person in hir quarrell The Gentlewoman desiring presently no other thing gaue him manie thankes so they entered the boate and the water béeing calme they passed without any daunger But still Rosicleer haunted with his auncient thoughtes nowe séeing himselfe farre distaunt from the Princesse and without hope to retourne beganne a fresh to consider of his exile which thought so ouercame him that hee wished his soule to departe from his bodye But the Historie leaueth him on the Sea to recount in the meane time of his Esquire who finding a shippe in the Hauen retourned to his Paster but not méeting him hée was sore abashed and in great sorrowe coasted ouer the Countrey to finde him out After long trauayle by lande to no purpose hée put himselfe to the Sea in a shippe prepared towardes Almaine where after continuall wearinesse and not hearing anye newes of his Master hée tourned towardes his owne Countrey in the Walley of the Mountaynes where he was well welcommed by his bretheren There let vs leaue him till time carrie him from his Fathers home to méete with his Master Now telleth the History of Zoylo Prince of Tartary which had trauayled towards the Court of King Oliuerio as hath bene recited When he came to the Court he found in the Pallaice hall the Princesse Oliuia with the King hir Father and diuers noble Princes deuising and sporting of diuers matters and especially of Rosicleers worthinesse which not a little tickled the princesse Oliuia for all that cruel sentence which she had giuen of him The Tartarian Zoylo entering the Hall in goodly maner to the great amaze of the Knights and Nobles which behelde him after he had made his humble obeysaunce to the King he spake as followeth It maye be noble and worthy King that the greatnesse of my estate forbiddeth me to be so humble but the great vertue which I haue found in the Knightes of your Maiesties Court hath enforced me aboue my wont to doo you that honour which I woulde denie els to anye King or Emperour in the worlde now I beséech your Maiestie to accept of my seruice and to receiue me into the number of your Knightes for I haue great desire to belong vnto your Court if it so lyke you The King verye well lyking of the Maiestie which the Knight bare albeit he knew him not whence he was of courtesie embraced him gladlye and raising him from ground aunswered thus Sir Knight you are very welcome for as your personage and good behauiour is aboue the credite of a meane man so haue I great opinion of your high estate and as to your request to be entertayned of my Courte I receyue you willynglye and promise you there-in my royall fauour for I woulde lyue no longer then to make of your lykes and I praye you sir Knight tell mée who you are least peraduenture I shoulde fault in not honouring you according to your callyng Zoylo aunswered Nost puissaunt King the report of your courtesie assured me your good fauour before I demaunded it and now sir vnderstand you that I am called Zoylo sonne to the King of Tartaria in that part which bordereth vpon Christendome and that I haue spent many winters both an sea lande till that Fortune cast mée on the English shore then comming out of Dutchlande After héere in your Countrey minding as my vsage was to trye my selfe vpon Knights errants it chaunced that I met with thrée of your Knightes in a Forrest their names were as I learned of them Rosicleer Bargandel and Lyriamandro with these I iusted and after that I had cast downe the two last at the Tilte I fought with Rosicleer at the swordes poynt but in the ende I was vanquished Rosicleer when I was yéelden hauing some lyking of me desired me to come and be acquainted with your Maiestie and to kisse your royall hand in his name All which I haue done as well for to offer my seruice to so mightie a Prince as for to accomplish the charge of so valyaunt a Knight neither thinke I it any disgrace to be vanquished by him For besides that his bountie and courtefie meriteth to be beloued rather then enuied his valour and Knighthoode promiseth the conquest ouer the whole world He hath receiued me for a perpetuall friende and his acquaintaunce doo I more set by then the whole Kingdome of Tartary my lawfull inheritaunce Therefore because I hope the longer to inioy this new friendshippe in your feruice I haue bene bolde to craue the name of your Court which shall be as well welcome vnto me as the title which you haue vnto your kingdome The king was glad to heare some newes of Rosicleer at that time and much praysed his owne good Fortune to haue lyghted vppon him for that by him his Court had dayly increased in worshippe and so tourning towards the Tartarian he sayde on this manner Pardon me mightie Prince in that I haue not done you that honour which appertaineth to a Kinges sonne but the little acquaintaunce I haue had with you and the ignoraunce of your estate shall excuse me henceforwardes if I amende not let me bée without excuse And with these same wordes the King ledde Zoylo to the Princesse willing hir to welcome the Knight straunger Zoylo comming before the beautifull Princesse Oliuia kneeled downe before hir to kisse hir hande which shée refused but gently kissing him she had him welcome Farther talke had she not for the often naming of Rosicleer brought to hir remembraunce the wrong which shée had done to him and hir heart was so great that she had no power to speake a word but crauing pardon shée departed to hir chamber this séemed straunge to hir father but because hir colour was so pale it was thought to be by reason of sicknesse When she was within hir chamber doores she let hir teares flowe at lybertie which before she restrained for feare of béeing espied And
beare out my former facte I let the matter passe as it hath done what shall then become of mée I knowe not howe to lyue hée being bannished from my presence whome I loue better than my selfe But Fidelia as thy parte was in the first counsayle to bannish Rosicleer so nowe put too thy helpe that Rosicleer maye retourne againe without the blemmish of mine honour Verye ioyfull was Fidelia to heare the Letter and béeing well content that hyr Mistresse hadâ—â— kepte hyr former conclusion in this matter as touching the marriadge of Rosicleer if his Parentage were not so farre inferiour soberly aunswered Madame leaue off your complayntes and be more gladde then euer you were sith God hath bene so fauourable vnto you as to make Rosicleer of so high estate that he may merite you For in good sooth I stoode in doubt whether of your paynes were the greater and I knew no meanes howe to slake them But fith now this secrete is disclosed the remedie is in our handes and not so difficult as you make it For bée it that you shall send vnto Rosicleer to demaunde pardon of him for the offence which you haue committed against him shall you thinke you doe your selfe anie wrong therein in respect of your princely estate No for assuredly he loueth you loyally and because he is of nigh parentage with you you may therein beguile suspitious eyes and after his retourne you maye boult it out of him whether he loue you yea or no if hée doe without peraduenture you maye acquite him and loue of all thinges woulde bée rewarded I dare warraunt that your loue shall detayne him with vs and to this purpose madame your hande and my head which ioyntly committed the former fact shall nowe together make the recantation and crye Pecaui The effect maye bee onely to will him to resourne to your presence and my selfe will bée the messenger and I promise neuer to refourne into this Countrey till such time as I finde him and haue deliuered your Letter to his handes Withall sayth shée this ought prsently to bée put in practise for by the griefe Rosicleer tooke at the sight of your Letter I gesse that hée is eyther departed this lyfe or auoided the Countrie The Princesse was verye well content with her hast as the thing which she most desired and so embraced she Fidelia gladly and spake vnto her Fidelia nowe I knowe the good will which thou hast to serue mée and I confesse that I haue not made thee priuie to my heauinesse without greate hope of comfort at thy handes therefore I beséech GOD once to rewarde thée as I wish but bring mée penne Inke and paper for I will straight way followe thy counsayle héerein Fidelia brought vnto her penne inke and paper wherewith the Princesse wrought hir reclayme with as manye sugered woordes as the other letter had sharpe and sower This letter the sequele will shewe vnto you when we come to the meeting of Fidelia and Rosicleer but before that time the letter written after this manner was delyuered vnto Fidelia and it was agréed vppon betwéene themselues that vppon the nexte daye shée shoulde goe to séeke him This night they tooke theyr rest the one for the better enduring of hir long trauaile which she shoulde sustayne the other to make satisfaction for hir broken sléepes Ere broade morning Fidelia was vp and hauing conuayed Rosicleers letter where she founde it shée went vnto the Princesse to take hir leaue of hir When as they were departing Oh my good Fidelia sayde the Princesse doo as much as thou mayst to retourne agayne spéedely for if thou stayest long I shall lyue but a small while there is nothing that may so soone shorten and cutte off my dayes as to hope without successe and to dreade the worst I tell thee that till thy comming agayne my nightes will be tourned to watchinges and I shall recken the clocke hourelye awayting thy presence O God Fidelia when the daye commeth I will looke for the night then when as the night is ouer-passed I will make account of the daye to come and I will neuer leaue casting of perilles till that I shall heare thée bring some tidings of that good Knight Fidelia was verye sorie to thinke of the cares which hyr Ladye was lyke to receiue and principally for that shée shoulde teaue hir alone wanting with whome to communicate hir payne Where-with béeing somewhat troubled and also fore-seeing the long time of hyr absence so shée departed wéeping in this manner Madame it is néedelesse for you to charge mée farther in the affayres the paines wherein I leaue you are sufficient to hasten my iourney I woulde to God my Fortune were aunswerable to the desire which I haue to serue you in this matter But be of good courage and hope for the comming of your Knight or els looke not for me With these they broke off and Fidelia went to hyr fellowes vnto whome she tolde that she woulde soiourne with hir parents in the Countrey for a season after going to the Sea side she entered into a shippe prepared towardes Almayne wherein the History leaueth hyr saylyng to recount of other things which chaunced in the meane time ¶ Rosicleer was betrayed into the Ilande of Candramarte that Gyaunt whose handes hadde bene cut off before by Rosicleer Cap. 43. YOu haue hearde howe Rosicleer departed from the great Britaine in the companie of the straunge Gentlewoman neuer hoping to returne agayne into that land onely for the accomplishing of the exile where-vnto hée was bound by his Ladyes appoyntment Nowe the Historie saith that the Gentlewoman with whome he was in the boate was sent by Candramarte whose handes Rosicleer had cut off before the King Oliuerio for Quéene Iulias rich sworde and that she was sent vnder coulour of a distressed Gentlewoman to bring him to hyr Fathers Ilande there to be aduenged of the hurt and shame which hyr Father had receyued This deuice was thought fittest both for that Rosicleer as a noble Knight pittyed such oppressed Gentlewomen and that for other cause then to shewe himselfe Rosicleer coulde not be brought out of Englande In this Ilande Candramarte had two young Gyauntes to his sonnes whome for that purpose he hadde knighted béeing in making no lesse than himselfe Besides these Candramarte hadde fortye chosen Knightes all which hée armed to assaulte Rosicleer least bée shoulde escape them By this guyle the Ladye Gyauntesse Daughter vnto Candramarte carryed him to hyr Fathers Ilande wherein without anye farther aduice hée aduentured himselfe for verye griefe of hearts which hée conceyued to sée himselfe abandoned his Ladyes presence But nowe sire dayes haue they bene on the Sea at the ende whereof the winde was so fauourable that they came within kenning of the Ilande to his iudgement verye strong and to the shewe verye pleasurable This béeing discouered by the Gouernour the Gentlewoman sayde that that was the place wherein hyr Parents and Husbande were taken crieng
be in that estate as is due to the daughter of such parents when the Emperour had thus said Flamides forced himself so much as he might for to speake thus answered him Your reason satisfieth my vnderstanding I confesse it true that we ought not to wéepe when death assaileth vs neither ought we to make straunge of it for in the end we must leaue this world and then is there nothing more certeine but my conceit builded vpon outward sence béeing contrarie to reason troubleth againe that part where affections are and maketh it rebellious and howsoeuer men be prouided for death by continuall thought that they must dye ordinarily notwithstanding wee thinke our selues immortall till death attacheth vs. And what olde man onely for age is so feeble that he hopeth not for a daie to liue But as to Lindaraza my sister I beléeue that although you had staied here many dayes the secret of this aduenture hadde neuer bene disclosed vnto you neither doe you knowe the cause why you were brought and put heere But I will tell you plainely My sister Lyndaraza and I had both one Father named Palisteo being the second sonne to the king of Phrigia my Father not beeing borne to the kingdome fell rather to seeke his owne delight without enuie then to trouble himselfe with the care of gouerning Aboue all he studied the Arte Magicke where by his paines at length came to the most absolute perfection of all in Asia he was matched with a Ladie of high parentage by whom he had two children my sister Lindaraza and mee we were of young yeares when our mother died in labour of the thirde child so there remained none else but our Father aliue and louing to be solitarie came and dwelled in this Ilande bringing with him my sister and those waiting women which you haue séene by his great skill he buylded this Castle héere he lyued vntill my sister and I were of some discretion to guide our selues Héere he drew manie histories of things passed in the worlde and among other the pictures of many valiant Knights which were then on lyue with the rest you were so liuely drawen that it happening my sister to enter one daye where the Imagerye was by the sight of your picture she was surprised with your loue Our father Palisteo knowing hir disease deuised you should be brought by following your owne wife carried from you For this cause was this inchauntment made in that quarter of the Castle wherein you abode without making your selfe priuie to your owne estate that if your Knights came to séeke you they might not perswade you hence neither could euer perswasion haue serued only force which this man hath vsed When the wise man our father had done all this he declared vnto vs the secretes of these things and farther told vs by his Art that the timâ—â—hould come when you shuld be deliuered from the inchauntment although he knew not when nor in what manner He told vs that at such time as you should be at large my sister Lindaraza should die either for the griefe that she shoulde conceiue or for that the fates had so appoynted Moreouer that you should haue a daughter by hir which might not hence depart till there should come a Knight which shoulde winne the entries once againe and after marrie hir Of this Knight he said that ther shuld spring the race whence issueth the two noble families much spoken off throughout the world the one house to be called Mongrana the other Claramonte Me he charged not to leaue the Castle till my néece Lindaraza should be acquitted After this our father Palisteo béeing sore sicke died since his death hetherto euerie thing hath fallen out accordinglye And thus you haue heard the whole processe of my tale and the cause why your daughter Lindaraza cannot goe from hence at this time The Emperour and the knight of the Sunne had verie attentiuely lystened to all that which Flamides had spoken and albeit the Emperour was desirous to carrie his daughter Lyndaraza with him he could not yet refuse to leaue her when he coulde not otherwise choose and hée besought Flamides that at such time as they came both out that they should take the waie to Greece there to reioyce with him After they had thus argued a little Flamides brought them through the parte of the Castle which was not inchaunted shewing them many thinges as well of halls of cloysters as of pictures and painterie whereat the Emperour and the Knight of the Sunne were greatly amased And for that that daye the knight of the Sunne had not eaten Flamides made them sit in a faire parlour where they had plentie of delicate viandes when they had eaten the Emperour béeing desirous to depart desired Flamides to conueye him through the gates So by the â—â—aie this péece of the storie as I haue hearde was afterwarde penned and portrayed in the Court hall of the Emperours Pallaice at Constantinople But they went through all the gates of the Castle and of the bridge till they came where the pillours stoode There Flamides tooke his leaue of the Emperour and of the Knight of the Sunne When Flamides had departed from them and they had passed through the bridges presently the gates of the Towers clapt together with greate noise béeing as surely shut as euer they were The Emperour and the Knight of the Sunne were amased at the straunge thinges which had happened in that Castle and tooke the way towardes the Sea by the same path in which they had come reioysing at the swéete harmonie which the Birdes made in those pleasaunt trées so that although they went a foote yet it séemed no paine vnto them And the loue that they bare to each other was so great that it coulde not haue had bene more if they had knowen each other especially the Emperour whom so often as he sawe his face thought vppon the Princesse Briana whome hée much resembled In this manner the father and the sonne trauailed running ouer in their discourse straunge thinges of the inchaunted Castle till that they approched the maine sea whereas yet the little boat stoode in which the knight of the Sunne had come thether Now for that along the shoare there were no more boats the Emperour was somewhat sorrowfull séeming to him that he was ill furnished to goe whether he purposed and telling it to the knight of the Sunne The knight of the Sunne aunswered My Lord I pray you be not agréeued with this for the boate is guided by a wise man a friend of mine one as I beléeue so carefull to carry me hence as he hath friendly sent me to worke your deliuerance Besides this boat will holde vs both and if it bée so you will vouchsafe my ship you shall neuer saile more safe neither better prouided for victualls The Emperour was greatly amazed at it that all thinges were so plentifull with the knight of the Sunne But both verie merrie
I was matched with the daughter of the Souldan being mine vnckle Thether came Ambassadors from my subiects certifieng me that the king of Media the stoutest Pagan in all the heathen countrey with maine force had intruded vpon my kingdome I for to remedy it gathered a great hoast in the Souldans land and transporting into Persia at the first battell that I had with the king of Media the greater part of my people béeing slaine my selfe was ouerthrowen with great griefe by secret by-wayes recouered Babylon where I could willingly haue dyed for paine and anguish◠But one min◠vnckle a verie wise and learned man in Art Magicke recomforted me saieng that the time shuld come in which I should be restored to my kingdome with great honour that for this it behooued me to awaite on the sea til I met with two little boyes of excellent beautie with whome I should returne to Babylon for that they should be the principal cause of my redresse so giuing credit to his word I thus put my selfe in aray for this aduenture wher thanks be to the Gods all hath succéeded as the wise man fore-spoke it for within this thrée dayes I lighted vpon one being alone in a little boate hauing in him according to my fancie the very pride of all beautie the other must néeds bée this young Gentleman Clauerindo the fairest beside him that euer I knew so as I haue good hope héerby to reenter into my kingdome For this cause I haue in charge to bring these two to Babilon now sir knight I beseech you to take it in good part for he shall be as wel entertained in the court of the Souldan as in the court of the king his father when my good fortune will that my seat shal be established he you shall returne into Fraunce with my ships my people my self also if it be so conuenient When the prince had there staied Armineo was well contented with his talke taking him for a knight of great prowesse although the long stay that the prince Clauerindo shuld make in this country grieued him yet with hope to return in the end séeing it was not in his power to do otherwise he subiected his will to the princes commaund with courteous words rendred him thanks for the storie of his aduentures for the offer he had made them the pith of his aunswere being in few words this Be it as you haue sayd sir for I denie not but the Gentleman Clauerindo shall gain verie much by his bringing vp in yours and your vnckles so noble a court With these profers too fro Florion tooke Clauerindo in his armes entred in his own ship Armineo following him When Armineo had behelde within Florions shippe the young Donzel del Febo you must not meruaile though he blessed himselfe for there was none which had had but a blush of him within his tender yeares but tooke him rather to be a celestiall Seraphin shen an humane creature and beléeued that this might not bée done without some great misterie as if the young Gentleman shewing in his infancie the comelinesse of stature other excellent qualities wherwith he was endued besides the straunge finding him alone in the rage of the tempest did well foreshew his nobilitie in time to come But when they sawe him naked and the portraiture of the Sunne with the brightnesse that it gaue to the beholders it was so straunge that they called to minde Phaetons fall out of heauen comparing this young Gentleman with Phaeton as if he had bene Phoebus sonne like as Phaeton was although somewhat diuers againe in this for that Phaeton taking his fathers chariot for his presumption was drenched in the Sea this young Gentleman was preserued in the Sea as betokening some greater secrecie in Nature Armineo was best apayed to haue the companie of so excellent a Gentle man for the Prince Claueryndo Now by the way this may you learne that although they could not tell Donzels name yet by the tokens he had vppon him they named him the Gentleman of the Sunne somewhat in other tearmes in the Persian tongue but in signification all one with the name that his mothers Gentlewoman gaue him in Hungarie being worth the marking that both Persians and Hungarians should so iumpe in naming him But to make hast homewards they tooke the waye to Phrigia and with a good winde ere fitéene dayes they landed there and comming a shore they sent harbengers afore hande as well to aduertise the Souldan and Lyrgandeo of the Princes comming as to puruaye by the waye of lodging for the estates The two young Gentlemen being not a litle welcome vnto Florions two vnckles as you maye read in the next chapter ¶ Prince Florion with the two young Gentlemen entered into Babylon and were there honourably receiued by the Souldan Cap. 18. THe Prince Florion néeded not to haue giuen intellygence to the Souldan of his comming for the wise Lyrgandeo opened all which had chaunced as well as if he had bene a partie in the dooing of it So when the prince was in lesse then an halfe dayes iourney from the Citie the Souldan and his wise brother Lyrgandeo issued out with a great traine to receiue him and comming néere the wise Lyrgandeo espieng Florion with the Gentleman of the Sunne on his horse before him in great ioye rode a pace taking him in his armes spake these words O ye soueraigne Gods immortall thankes be giuen vnto you for the high fauour you haue shewed vnto vs in bringing into our power this rare Gentleman with whom you haue imparted of your most secret graces O that mine armes coulde once merite such an heauenly burthen O how well maye Babylon reioyce sith he is thether brought whose glorye shall no lesse glister through the earth then the bright Sun shineth in the world Who deserueth to haue his biding among the Demigods for his valour and mightinesse O how he shall race out the memorie of Ninus and Xerxes all the pride of the Assyrian Monarches From hencefoorth Assiria for béeing onely the cradell of this Gentlemans nourserie shall be famous throughout the whole world from hence-foorth men shall haue so much to doo to put in writing the worthinesse of this Gentleman that all the monuments of our auncestors shall quite dye and this man onely shall be our table-talke The wise man thus as it were rauisht and vttering his conceiptes in great gladnesse by inter-breathings the beautie of the childe sometimes amazing him and his diuinitie astonishing the hearers he kissed the young Gentleman held him in his handes till the Souldan drew néere as the Souldan approched he deliuered Donzel del Febo vnto him and tourned himselfe towards Clauerindo embracing him goodly but in more modestie of speach or lesse delight he said vnto him You are welcome noble and souereigne Prince I knowing how well knowen your name should be in the world
downe from hir beautifull eyes and watering hir crimson chéekes spake vnto the Souldan on this wise The heauenly and immortall Gods maintaine and encrease thy high estate most puissaunt and mightie Souldan of Babylon Know for certaintie that vncertaine fortune neuer constant to any hath in such maner shewed hir selfe cruell and aduerse to me that she onely not sufficed with the death which my father and mother and many of their subiectes haue receiued for my sake she ceaseth not daily to afflict me and to bring me to so low an ebbe that being defeated of mine owne inheritaunce I am yet faine to wander through the Courts of mightie Princes to find some good and pitifull knight which bewayling my mishap will ease me of the great trauaile I daily take to saue my honour For if you wil suffer me to lay open my case the whole storie is thus I am right enheretrix of the Iland of Cypres where my predecessors reigned long time with much ioy vntill that their good hap was hindred by my beautie For hauing brought me into this world with that beautie wherein you sée me which I woulde to our that beautie wherein you sée me which I woulde to our Gods had either perished when I first was swaddeled or els had neuer bene knowen that none might haue taken delight in it So soone as my beautie was sounded abroad this Knight héere present King of the Zardians Lorde of the Iland of Zardia called Raiartes hearing of it came to see me so soone as he came he was taken with my loue and demaunding me for wife was denied it of my father Wherefore very angrie returning to his Iland of Zardia with a great armie of knights he came against my father and at the first field killed him and murthered all his people and in short time became Lord of Cypres My mother séeing my Father dead and hir lande wasted dyed for griefe I remained alone without companye till such time as Raiartes came to the Pallaice where I was I knew to whose power I was become seruaunt fearing that he woulde haue forced me determined by ending my lyfe to make my selfe free from his subiection estéeming it farre better to dye with my Parentes then alyue to bewayle their deathes And hauing no better leasure nor meanes to achieue my purpose I leaped vp to a window the highest in all the Pallaice thence to haue throwen my selfe downe if Raiartes séeing me in his plight had not prayed me not to doo it promising if I forbeare that that to doo the thing that I cmmaunded him I resoluing vpon death told him that vnles he granted me one gift I wold be mine owne executioner he to saue my life promised it whereby I lefte off from putting that in practise which I had contriued in my thought By this meanes Raiartes had me in his power and hauing the whole Iland at his commaundement he carried me contrary to my will into his owne country with these aged Knights my néere kinsmen there he requested me of loue and prayed me to accept of him for husband What should I doo he was importunate in his demanund and I remayned in his daunger so that to put by the execution of his desire I had none other remedy but to aunswere him that so soone as he had perfourmed the promise which he made mee I woulde satisfie his whole intent This hearing he was well content and so I tolde him that he shoulde carrie me for the space of a twelue month into all places whether I would and if in the meane time I found a knight to defende my right by fighting against him he should graunt the Battayle with condition that if my knight vanquished him I should be fré from his demaund and my lande at quiet otherwise if he had the vpper hand I from thence-foorthe to be at his commaundement and he doo what euer lyked him This knight most noble Souldan counfailing with his strength and thinking all mens vertues infertor to his tooke vpon him the Quest glad by such meanes to manifest his power and so he carried me from the Iland Zardia more then halfe a yere past in which time yet I haue not found a Knight to vndertake my quarrell and yet I haue bene in the courts of mightie Kings and other great Lords Now séeing the tearme set betweene vs is more then halfe expired for my last refuge hether am I come to thy court to proue if heere my good fortune should be such that I should finde in it that which I haue so long sued for in other Courts Héere she ended with sighes and sobs out of measure therby vttering the sorrow she had in hir heart and the griefe for to loue such a knight which mooued great compassion in both Souldan and others of his company But there was no knight which would aunswere for the Princesse Radamira that was hir name and yet there were many in the Souldans presence Then in great pride and with a fierce looke this terrible Raiartes spake vnto hir What knight is there in the world so foole-hardie and presumptious Radamira which for thy cause durst enter into lystes with me yea be it that both right and iustice were right and cléere on his side And art not thou quite deuoyd of reson to liue vndone that which I beséech thée Besides valewing thy beautie with my brauerie and thy pride with my puissaunce I shall séeme to set too lowe a price on my selfe if I enioy thée and if there be any knight héere which will saye the contrarye I will soone make him recant his folly Raiartes hauing sayd thus knit his browes made such a grim countenance that all they feared him which beheld him and there was not a knight so hardie as to answere any thing in the Princesse Radamiras behalfe as if it had bene méere sinne in a Gentlewoman straungers right to hazard their person vpon a diuell rather then vppon a humane creature Euery man was still to the no little griefe of the Souldan in that his court â—rceiued such disgrace but the Gentleman of the Sunne sitting by and mooued with compassion towards the Gentlewoman arose on his féete and made aunswere to Raiartes saieng Sir knight it is a great blasphemie to knighthood to say that in the whole world there is not a knight which dare fight with thée Thy lye is loud and thou dost against all reason enforce this Princesse to marrie thée Be thou sure that if I were a knight I would suffer a thousand deaths rather then such reproach should be offered to a Gentlewoman For thy browne beautie is not fit to be hir play-fellowe and saieng thus he set himselfe downe againe Raiartes madde angry for these words fourning towardes him and rolling his eyes with great rage aunswered If thou wert as strong as thou art foolish thou weake youngling I would make thy life and thy words ende at one time But they say commonly
they were cast into double doubts séeing that the enimie whom they purposed to finde abroad came to séeke them at theyr owne doores Well with great care and diligence they began to prepare all thinges necessarie for the welcomming of such a gest by gathering his people out of all partes of the kingdome raysing the walies higher and fortifieng the Towers once builded by Semiramis all which woulde lyttle haue helped the great Babylon against the power of Africano if the puissaunt arme of the youâ—â— Gréeke had not defended it But thus the Assyrians were almost at their wits-end not knowing how to repell him for the brute of his fanâ—â— was greatly noysed The Souldan of Babylon well experimented in warfare commaunded all which could beare armour to come to Babylon that his forces béeing vnited he might be of greater power against his enâ—mies Africano stayed not till he came to the very walls of Babilon where he gladly behelde the Citie because of the same it had to be so great and so well peopled he highly commended of the sumptuous edifices and high walls enâ—â—â—ng it which inflamed his desire to be Lord of it Presently 〈◊〉 made to pitch his tents in a large field enuironing yeâ—als as far as he might for it was impossible to compasse them rounde about with two of Xerxes armies He had in his campe 20000 knights and 30000. hors-men two strong Giants beside the one of them called Herbyon and the other Dardario through whose force he thought to haue ouercome the Assyrians So soone as he had trenched round about his campe and prouided for the sauegarde of his armie before he would enterprise any father he sent a messenger with a letter to the Souldan containing this that followeth Africanos letter I the great and mightie Africano king of Media and Persia send gréeting vnto thée Souldan of Babilon sonne of Orixerges Know that the report of thy Citie of Babilon hath procured me to cut the seas to arriue in this countrey rather with desire to haue it as mine owne then for any pleasure to offend thy person or molest thy people for thy father and mine during their liues were great friends which friendship I would willingly shuld endure betwéen vs if thou wilt as willingly satisfie my desire albeit I am content in recompence thereof to giue thée the kingdome of Persia or Media chuse thée whether Now thou knowest my whole meaning faile not to accomplish my desire for vnlesse I haue it with thy good will I wil force thée thervnto maugre thy ill will Fare-well The messenger comming to the gates of the citie was let in being brought into the pallaice he deliuered the letter to the Souldan in the presence of Prince Florion and the other knights of the Court The letter was read and they all said that in great pride the Pagan had so written but because Prince Florion the most part of those which were there knew the strength and power of Africano in the battailes fore-passed they would not make aunswere nor speake a worde vntill they had heard the Souldans minde Being in this order all husht the knight of the Sun rose vp demaunded license of the Souldan to giue aunswere to the messenger The Souldan graunted it him Then the Knight of the Sunne aduauncing his voyce that it might be heard spake to the messenger thus Returne to thy Lorde for it is now too late to answere his letters but in the morning my Lord shall call his counsell shall send thy Lord an answere by one of his knights to whom he must giue credit in this behalfe Thus the messenger dispatched from the Souldan went to his Lorde who little delighted in the fore-flowing of the Souldans answere for he lesse wayed the Souldans power Therefore he determined in few dayes to destroy the great citie burning and wasting all for all that that he wished rather to haue bene owner of it by exchange or couenaunt then by rasing and battering the wals which wer so goodly The messenger auoiding the pallaice the knight of the Sun directed his spech to the Souldan in this wise Sith your excellencie wel vnderstandeth the arrogancie and high disdaine of Africano and hath giuen me in commission to deuise the aunswere I humbly beséech your grace to be content therewith if to morrow in the morning I alone take vpon me this message to satisfie him as shall séeme best vnto me and according as his pride deserueth When the knight had so said the suâ—â— which he made gréeued the Souldan very much although the great exployts which he had already done which were diuined to be done by him some-what abated his griefe yet greatly preferring the valour of Africano aboue that which he had heard of all the Princes Pagans for ther might none be compared to him he put of the knight of the Sunne for that time with this aunswere that hée would not haue him to hazard himselfe in such daunger vntill he had growen to more ripe yeares But if the Souldan was in any perplexitie for loue to the knight much more was prince Florion troubled which had had experience of Africanos puissaunce and had séene Africano in his owne person demeane himselfe so iustely in the battale betwéene them that he thought him to be vnparagonized for mandhood therefore he was more then vnwilling that the knight shuld alone deale in this matter albeit he had well worthely acquited himself against Brandafileo the stroÌ„g Raiartes for it was not a thing conuentent in his iudgment that he being as yet of tender yeres shuld proue his body vpon Africano But were it that the Souldan the Prince Florion wer loth of this as at the first it appered yet they thought it best to dissemble their conceits least the knight should take displesure at their litle account of him therefore in the end after some consultation had with the wise Lyrgandeo with a milde countenaunce the Souldan agréed to the knights request saieng That he would put into his hands both his honor the cause to the end that he should ans were Africano as best should like him The knight of the Sun wold haue kissed the Souldans hand but the Souldan imbraced him there it was solemnly enacted that the next morrow that the knight of the Sunne shuld be the onely messenger Clauerindo the prince Florion lay at him earnestly to beare them in his company but be shifted them off with this that it behoued him to be alone for the aunswere which he should giue to Africano ¶ The Knight of the Sunne maketh aunswere to Africano as to his letter Cap. 23. AT the day péepe before the gray morning the valiant worthy knight of the Sunne got him vp in the meane time while he ought to execute his charge he armed himselfe with that armour which the wise Lyrgandeo had bestowed on him so stayed a great while vntill it was
big almost as a Pine trée hée prepared himselfe for the carrier And the worthie Gréeke knowing the Gyants errand did the lyke and spurring his horse he came vnto the close The great speare of the Gyant was thought to haue pearced the harnesse of the knight by reason of the few shiuers that it made but it did not so and contrariwise the knights speare couched with greate dexteritie entered through the body of the great Dardario a great part of the staffe appearing at the shoulders By this meanes the monstrous Gyant fell dead from his horse with such a grone as the tall Cedars of Libanus make béeing rent vp by the roote The Babylonians reioyced excéedingly at this but Africano was all enflamed with choler to fée his Gyaunt slaine with one onely blow and knowing that to himselfe alone this base was bid in great rage rose from the feate where he sate without speaking a word entering into his tent armed himselfe with sure armour and chose him a very strong Speare not tarrieng for squire or page to helpe him In this anger hée was so terrible that none of his people durst come néere him and so with a most fierce cruell countenance he armed himselfe So soone as the Pagan had buckled on his armour immediatly ther was brought him a horse such a one as could haue carried tenne armed knights as I thinke of the same bredth whereof the horse of Troy was The trappings of the horse as well golde as the stirops and all his armour set with precious stones that hée might well séeme a great Lord which was mayster of such armorie but this was the straungest sight that Africano sat vpon so mightie a horse made him notwithstanding to bow double vnder him But to go forwarde Africano taking the greatest Speare which might be had rode with a soft pace towardes the knight of the Sunne The Knight of the Sunne sawe him come from amongst his people and thought presently that he was the king Africano as well for his rich armour and his horse so curiously barbed as the talenesse of his personage which hée verie well noted not to bée farre dissonant from the common report so he beséeched his Gods from his heart to be fauourable vnto him against so strong a Gyant Africano well viewed the knight of the Sunne his stature and making and vpon these premises inferred thus much that well might he be a man of much force which so well shewed it in his exteriour countenance and much more in his déeds and valour But comming néerer vnto the knight as his custome was little to regarde the whole worlde so with a proud disdainfull voice he spake vnto the knight Thou miserable and wretched knight thou saist thou art a messenger and bringest a message vnto me thou hast slaine the Gyant Dardario almost the strong Herbion which two had bene sufficient to haue beat downe the walls of Babylon I sweare vnto thée by my Gods that if all the world were giuen me for thy ransome thou shouldest not escape the death The knight of the Sunne embasing his voice mildly answered If I haue had to doe with thy Gyaunts Africano they were occasioners of it themselues for I came not hether to other purpose but to make thée answere in the behalfe of the Souldan and if I came onely to séeke thée thou oughtest to haue bene first which should haue presented himselfe to me and to haue heard what I wold haue sayde and to haue heard me as a messenger and not to attempt my death as a knowen enimie Now that thou art come Africano I tell thée why I am come heare it if thou wilt The Gods which haue preserued mée from thy Gyauntes haue reserued me to fight with thée But listen on c. Héere the rage of the Pagan stopped the course of his talke and the mightie Africano smiting his hande on his thigh for anger lift vp his other hand also to haue buffeted the knight but a better minde ouertooke him that bée thought it reason to heare the Souldans aunswrre before he should condempne the messenger and so stayeng he bad him tell on quickly for I will well punish thy offence what so euer aunswere the Souldan sendeth me The knight of the Sunne wishing the battayle with all his heart sayd Then know thou Africano that thy letter béeing receiued and read in the presence of my Lorde the Souldan after consultation had my Lord sendeth thée this answere by me Albeit before this time thou art notoriously defamed for a tyrant in that thou hast falsely and fraudulently enchroched vp many kingdomes yet hée neuer thought thou wouldst haue enterprised the vsurpation of the most sacred Assyrian Empire an Empire consecrated to the Gods and claimed by them as their right and in their right gouerned by my Lordes auncestours as Liefetenaunts to the Gods and their Fée-farmers and therefore though peraduenture the open wrongs done vnto men the Gods doe often pardon and winke at yet seldome leaue they vnreuenged the iniuryes offered to themselues and as it is to be thought so manifest a contempt of their diuine power shall not escape them Besides for the Citie of Babylon he letteth thée to vnderstand that thy selfe art not ignorant that it is his and that he hath right to it as heire to the king Orixerges his father on that parte of his liueloode and that thou hast no title nor coulourable shew to demaund it Wherefore if it be so that thou wilt take it against all reason from him he telleth thée that hée can no lesse doe then defend it from thée and the whole world for hauing right and iustice on his side hée lyttle feareth the inuasion of man deliuering his message in this forme of wordes the knight of the Sunne sayde This is the Souldans answere and pausing a while he began againe thus And I Africano craued of my Lord to be the messenger for I would thou shouldest know how dangerously thou offendest the diuine Gods in entering vpon the kingdome of Persia and disinheriting the Prince Florion the legittimate and onely Lord of that kingdome Now therfore thou shouldest well doe to furrender thy claime into his hands and content thée with the reuenues already receiued and the vniust deteining of his right so long time If thou wilt doe this not for my sake but for the high Gods against whom thou hast hainously trespassed thereby thou shalt parifie the Gods and léese the name of a tyrant so odious and so detested amongest men If thou wilt still perseuer in this thy tyrannicall obstinacie I vtterly defie thée to the death and certifie thée that either I will slay a tyrant or vpon a tyrant I will be slaine Whilest the knight of the Sunne amplified at large vpon this point Africano albeit verie angrie yet marked him from top to toe waieng with what confidencie he had discharged his charge sometimes quietly admonishing to amend and otherwise threatning
pleasure and highlye magnifieng the noble Knight of the Sunne so as this discourse as an argument of greate good will canuased betwéene these knights and Princes brought them ere they were well aware before the Pallaice gate where the Princesse Balisea welcommed them with torch light the first whom she embraced was the Knight of the Sunne to whome shee said on this wise Sir knight we 〈◊〉 great cause to giue thanks to our Gods for your hether ariuall First you deliuered my Lord the Souldan and me from death now you haue set all vs frée from sorrowfull captiuitie But madame answered the knight of the Sunne to my Lord the Prince Florion and to these other knightes you ought to attribute this for they are those which haue destroyed Africanos hoast Then the Princesse tourned vnto Clauerindo and thanked him likewise for his paines in the defence of her fathers Citie and so to the rest in that order which best liked her After this they supped in the greate hall continuing there their sports till bed time as likewise the citizens well shewed their good liking of the victory by bonfires and other reuelling sport The next day they ordeined that which followeth ¶ The knight of the Sunne the two Princes Florion and Clauerindo with a great hoast enter into Persia and there put Florion in possession of the Crowne Cap. 25. THE next day after dinner the Souldan himselfe entered into the counsaile chamber and other affaires being laid a part the wise Lyrgandeo made this Oration It is apparantly knowne vnto vs all how bountifully our high Gods haue dealt with vs as well touching my Lord the Souldan as the Prince Florion and the whole nation of the Assyrians in bringing to this Court the knight of the Sunne and the Prince Clauerindo who by theyr notable vertues not onely haue kept this citie from sacking but also as we make account haue left the realme of Persia naked for resistaunce not one speare remaining to bée tossed against vs. For the attayning of either of these things we are not ignoraunt how weake and vnable we were that were it not for these two young Gentlemen not onely our home bred power but also thrice as many of forreine succours coulde not haue hindered Africano from his purpose Wherefore I thinke it conuenient that sith the Gods haue graunted vs this victorie and that we haue the winde at our backes that we followe our good Fortune while we haue her least by ouerslipping the opportunitie we to late repent our too much daintinesse My meaning is that with such spéed as may be the Prince Florion and these Lordes depart the realme into Persia there to make claime of his right by armes whilest euery man is occupied in complaining on his owne harmes For although as yet there dare no man stand against vs yet for a certeintie there is a king of Media Africanos sonne which ere it be long will bée our heauie neighbour he is not yet made Knight but his destinie foresheweth vs that if hée once come to boorde in Persia we shall bée no lesse disquieted with his companie then we were with Africano his Father The wise Lyrgandeo made an end of his Oration knitting vp his matter with this clause that it were not out of the way to aduise themselues notwithstanding for good resons this was his iudgement They which would neuer contrarie him in any point tooke no further respite but consenting to the effect of Lyrgandeos Oration concerning the conquest of Persia tooke this order The Prince Florion the Knight of the Sunne Clauerindo and Armineo his vnckle with fiftéene thousand Knightes and fiftie thousand footemen within ten dayes shoulde prepare themselues for this aduenture the Princesse Balisea abiding with the Souldan her Father till the kingdome were well setteled from tumult and the Prince in peaceable fruition of the crowne This they dealt in effectually for within the compasse of the dayes limitted they left Babylon the Souldan and the Princesse onely comforted with the hope which Lyrgandeo made promise of The fiftéene thousand Knightes with the foote men by long iourneyes entering into Persia and comming néere vnto one of the chiefest Cities of the Kingdome there in the plaine vnloaded their carriage to erect theyr tentes there But the Citizens hauing vnderstanding of Africanos death by the fugitiues in the last discomfiture of Africanos hoast and thinking it not safetie for themselues to rebell against their liege naturall Lord Florion especially he hauing the aide of the whole floure of Babylon set their gates wide open for his armie and sent of theyr worthiest knightes to Florions tent to inuite him to his owne Citie and to craue pardon for their former reâ—â—ulting in that time when they were lefte destitute of mans succour not béeing able of themselues to withstande the force of Africano And also excusing themselues that they had neuer a guide to conduct them into the fielde against so strong an enimie hauing in his power the greatest part of all Asia The Prince lightly excusing their fault easily condescended vnto theyr requests and béeing gladde of so good enterteinement of the first the next daye rode into the Citie with the ioyfull acclamations of the whole multitude There he resumed the Crowne and Scepter and béeing in quiet seyzure the subiectes of the Realme by the fame of his thether arriuall came from all partes to doe him homage so that in halfe a yeares space all the principall Cities of the kingdome submitted themselues and there was lefte no more memorie of the vsurpers name The King Florion seyzed of his lande in such a friendly manner nowe tooke counsayle how to haue the Quéene his wife conuayed thether and for that it was requisite that the king himselfe should tarrie behinde for the appeasing of all tumults if anie should arise in so rawe a possession hée gaue the charge of fetching the Quéene with all reasonable pompe vnto the knight of the Sunne and the Prince Clauerindo they to take with them 200. knightes for their safetie They tooke it gladly and frayted their shippes with necessarie prouision and other furniture for warre determining to trauaile by sea the sooner to come vnto their iourneies end When euerie thing was in a readinesse the knights tooke theyr leaue of the king Florion and the wise Lyrgandeo But the wise man not refraining from teares and louingly embracing the Knight of the Sunne burst out into these speaches in such sorte as the Sibilles in ancient time were wont to read mens destinies Noble and worthie Knight you are determined to see Babylon but you are vncerteyne whether euer to see it or to retourne to Persia and as little knowe I what shall befall For truth it is that all the heauenly sphéeres warrant more vnto you then to to any knight what that is it is kept from me I cannot finde the entrie therevnto wherefore I am in doubt of your hether retourne But if the fates or
manner which had made him staye that good Knightes comming The Princesse Clarinea séeing the Giants bloud thus couer the ground was very glad and by r colour became fresh which increased hir beautie whereto also Fortune willing to be fauourable it was so that the prince Brandizel beholding hir was enamored of hir beautie and entirely loued hir For his heart now set on fire angmented his conrage and he buffeted the Giant so that in short time he vnarmed him in many places In the end the Prince desirous to giue end to the battaile raysed in his stirroppes stroke a full blowe at the Gyant vpon the shoulder that his sword entered a handful and the Giant fell dead The Prince seeing him fall presently leaped from his horse and pulling off his helmet went to the Princesse to recomfort bi r saieng Madame I beséech you accept in good part this little seruice at his handes which destreth to doo you much more The Princesse verye ioyfull to sée hir enimie on ground and more glad to sée hir friend so goodly a man curteously answered Noble knight you haue done so much for me that with all that which my father hath I shall not be able to requite it you but if you wil that this good which you haue done me doo like me indéede shew me so much fauour as to carrie me to the king my father for bether will come the residue of the Gyants knights then my libertie is to begin againe the Prince gently taking bath her hands in his kissed them said vnto her Madame if it please you we may retourne to the town from whence we came for I beléene that these knights of whom you spake are but few aliue to put vs in daunger I left my companions fighting with them who I am sure hane done their parts and yet they shall doo vs no wrong though they be many But in farre greater ieopardie am I of my life by you if you vouchsafe me not your seruice wherewith the Princesse was nothing offended for she liked very well his comely personage but she answered nothing The Prince séeing the Princesse without a paltray tooke hir vp behinde him and with easse paces rid towards the towne In which way the prince with many amorous words feasted the princesse and manifested to hir his loue and after disclosing himselfe also he beséeched hir to kéepe it secret which she did resoluing not withstanding if hir father were so content not to match otherwise Well néere the towne they came where they sawe a great troupe of Knights hasting so fast as they might and indéed they wer the King and his Knights more then 500. in number who by the report excited to succour their Princesse came to the towne and finding almost all the Giants knights taken or slaine by the prince Clauerindo and Armineo with such aide as the towne affoorded they altogether follow on in the pursute of the Giant which had led hir awaye Now there were of the companie which a farre off ascried the princesse behinde Brandizel and learning that it was the Knight which rode to follow the Giant they told it to the King whereat he was very glad and making much of the thrée straungers especiallye of Brandizel he spake on this wise Sir knight how shall I be able to requite this friendship which you and your companions haue shewed to me Assuredly I know not though I shuld giue you my kingdome for were it not for you I should haue lost this daye my daughter Clarinea and with hir my ioye and pleasure which béeing lost what ioye should I haue founde in rulyng But tell me I pray you how dealt you with that Gyant for he was strong and great Sir sayth Brandizel offering to kisse his handes which the King gentlye refused Sir saith he mightie Prince my companions I think our Fortune to be very good in that we are thether arriued where we may doo seruice to so courteous a Prince and it is reward sufficient your acceptation As touching the Gyant his ill purpose was his owne decaye for bée is already dead not farre from hence The King wondered to heare tell that the Giant was dead for by the report of his bignesse he thought it impossible that one only Knight should coape with him and then much more making of the Princes he imbraced them oftentimes and desired them to tell him their names which at length they did And the King vnderstanding of their birthes carried them with himselfe towards the towne where in the waye hée tolde them who that Giant was and what the cause was why he had come thether in such sort saieng My Lordes this Giant was called Lamberdo Lord of the Iland of Perda not farre hence he hath since the time he was first knighted neuer emploied his time to other aduantage but to robbing and spoyling and for this he hath an Iland excéeding strong but very little and scarce well peopled In this he may defend him from any enimie and bestowing his spies in euery corner to watche for some such cheuisaunce hée knew that my daughter Clarinea was in this towne with a few knights so hether he made a voyage and had stolne hir away but that God be blessed such valyant Knights as you came in such a time for hir succour While the King tolde this tale they were within the towne walls and as they entred through the stréetes the whole towne gathered together to sée the Prince which had staine Lambardo And then through the towne they came to the Kings pallaice where they abode a great while ¶ Rosicleer departeth from the Iland of Candramarte and meeteth with certaine aduentures on the sea Cap. 47. THe historie left the valiant Rocleer very sad in the Iland of Candramarte as well for his Ladies letter as for that the knight of the Sun departed from him so sodeinly that he could not know him For remembring himselfe of the words which the wise Artemidoro had told him as concerning his brother his minde gaue him that it might he he wherefore as without hope euer to sée him not hauing to comfort his afflicted spirits he burst out into feares sayeng O Fortune how hast thou bene froward to méee aboue all men First before I was borne I lost my father when I was borne my Mother was in sorrowe and care for mée and scarcely began I to knowe the world when I was bannished from her whome I loued better then my selfe And nowe by chaunce haue I hene brought to the companie of a noble knight with whome I might haue bene more friendlye acquainted but the waues rose vo against me and haue carryed him awaie from mée as if I were vnworthie of anie good When he had wept his fill he went to one of the Castles there to set such thinges in ordes as were disquieted by the death of theyr Lorde and so comfort the woful Gyantesse whom he afterward matched with one of the
best knights of all those whom the Gyant had left giuing them liuerie and season in that lande and making others to sweare obedience Short time after hée would néeds depart with full purpose to kéepe in the Sea and not to depart till that he should haue sailed so farre that no words might be heard of him in those quarters Therefore he tooke his armour wherein was drawen the God of lous in such sort as our auncestours were wont to paint him with his eyes out his bowe and arrowes in his hand The picture béeing so liuely drawen that Rosicleer kuewe it was done by the wise Artemidoro and therevppon he sooke his name of that deuice from which time hée neuer called himselfe other then the Knight of Cupide vnder which name he atchieued many enterprises and Rosicleers name came neuer more to the eares of Oliuia Hauing put on his armour he tooke his leaue of Candriana for so was called the Daughter of Candramarte and for remembraunce onely the shippe wherein hée first sayled when hée lest great Britaine with two marriners to conduct it whome he charged not to call by other name then the Knight of Cupide and to guide the shippe Eastwarde When hée had so sailed fistéene daies without chancing to him anie thing worthie of recitall It was so that one morning by Sunne rising he sawe a little boate passe by him out of which he heard many cries as if it had bene the labour of some woman and thinking that there might be néede of some helpe he was desiraus to know what was in the shippe and therevpon he commaunded to ioyne with them Presently there ftept vppon the hatches a sadde auncient man with a white beard all armed saue the head which demaunded what hée woulde Rosicleer sayde I woulde knowe who is in your Shippe for me thinkes I haue heard some woman complaine and if it bée so I will venture my person to doe her good The auncient Knight behelde Rosicleer taking him to be some knight of great bountis especially in that he had offered himselfe so fréely When hée had throughly behelde he opened the matter on this sorte Assuredly good Knight I thanke you for your great good will and as it is not mis beséeming your outward beautie to haue some inwarde vertue lyke thereto But know you that in this shippe there abideth a Gentlewoman making towards the great Britaine there to complaine her to the King Oliuerio and his knightes of the outrage which is done vnto her Nowe because our staie is daungerous I may not tell you farther of this matter our enimies followe vs and so rest you with GOD. When the olde man had saide this Rosicleer hauing desire to know more staied him and besought him to discourse more at large for himselfe was a Knight of that Court and could tell him what remedie was to bée hoped for there The olde man was loth to staie longer yet hearing him say that he was of the same Court hée tolde him in fewe wordes that this Gentlewoman was the Princesse Arguirosa one of the fairest Ladies in the worlde and a Princesse of Thessalie onely heire to that kingdome That her mother béeing dead the King Arguidoro her father fell in loue with a Gentlewoman of Thessalie not so honest nor of so high estate as wanton and of base birth and louing her affectionately after marryed her to the dispossessing of his owne childe Then in the time of her Fathers life there was in the court a knight called Rolando besides his great liuing one of the strongest knightes in all those partes but proude and little respecting the whole worlde That this Knight during the lyfe of the King was lyked of Ipesca and so soone as the King Arguidoro dyed of a sodeyne disease was promoted to the Kinges bedde by matching with the Quéene and béeing of great reuenewes that he nowe inioyed the kingdome by force and excluding the right heyre none of the kingdome daring to gaine-saie him for the most able are his night kinsmen the other learne patience perforce But that which worst of all was that to vndoe her rightfull claime hée mindeth to marrie her with a kinsman of his and to giue onely some little Towne to dwell in reseruing the title of the Kingdome after his owne dayes to a sonne the which hée hath begotten on his Quéene Ipesca I am kinsman sayth he to the Princesse béeing her mothers brother and therefore I haue aduentured to rescewe my néece but not knowing any remedie at home because my power is not equall with Rolandos I haue brought her out from thence and I determine to goe to the great Britaine where as I haue heard there are many valyaunt knightes especially a new Knight of whom I haue heard especially since the great feasts there holden If this Knight helpe me not I know not who may with-stand Rolando Thrée nightes and dayes haue we bene vppon the Sea onely I the Lady two Gentlewomen and our Marriners and I beléeue that there come after vs Rolandos knightes Nowe haue I tolde you the whole of your desire and I beséech you tell vs what newes you knowe of that good knight Rosicleer nowe hauing heard the whole state of the Princesse Arguirosas matter was much treubled and desirous to helpe her hée aunswered the auncient man that for his staie he thanked him and as touching your demaund saith he of the new knight Truth it is that in Britaine none can tell you newes of him wherfore your labour should be lost if you sought him there But the Princesses affliction so much moueth me that albeit I was purposed other where yet would I gladly fight with Rolando in the Princesse behalfe The auncient knight was verie sad to heare that the newe Knight was not in Britaine but well eyeng this knight which had so tolde him and made profer of helpe he stoode in doubt whether to take or refuse by and by he discouered two shippes vnder sayle and by theyr toppes to be of Thessalie whereat striking himselfe on the breast hée cryed out O most vnhappie that wée are héere commeth Rolandos Knightes which will take vs and béeing brought againe to Thessalie we shal there receiue most cruel death and he wept cursing the houre of his departure the Princesse Arguirosa hearing the complaintes which her vnckle made his greate sorrowe which he susteyned the extreame daunger they were in and the cause why hée did it tooke it as heauie and wofully bewailed their miserie When Rosicleer sawe them in this plight hée much pittyed them especially Arguirosa which the Princesse Oliuia not remembred might haue well contented him Therefore he willed them to get vnder the hatches againe and to let him shifte for theyr safetie the olde man thinking that Rosicleer woulde defend them by saieng that they were his people did so not ceasing yet to feare the worst and to pray earnestly for their escape Rosicleer leapt into the Princesse shippe and sate vpon the
brimme therof to sée what would happen till that the other shippe came néere and that he which was the Captaine commaunded to grapple and espyeng Rosicleer with a proude voice badde him saye both who himselfe was and what people he had in his ship and not faile in any point Whereto Rosicleer by and by aunswered I am a stranger in these parts and farther it is not reason that you knowe who they are that are with mée for we kéepe our way without molesting thée or thine The Captaine angrye for his short spéech said vnto him I will strike thy head into the water vnlesse thou aunswere me directly to my question and so saieng he halde and puld Rosicleer to haue forced him Rosicleer thus rudely intreated rose vp and with his gauntlet gaue the Captaine such a blow vpon the helmet that his braines flew abone his head and presently he fell into the water where the weight of his armour kept him downe Straight waies more then twentie knights well armed and well angered for the death of their captaine altogether with their swords in their hands smote at him Rosicleer drawing out quéene Iulias blade stroke againe with such courage that at thrée blowes thrée knightes were slaine and those which presently knewe his great prowesse drew backe making no great hast to come néere him Rosicleer knowing his enimies feare leaped into their shippe and there laide so about him that in short space he killed halfe of them The Princesse Arguirosa and the auncient knight nowe beganne to shew themselues aboue boord and they greatly wondered at his manhoode So shortly after Rosicleer was ralone in his enimyes shippe without resistaunce either all beeing slayne or all slaine or wounded or slaine wounded or by flight escaped for Rosicleers owne shippe was lost in the garboyle Now retourned hée to Arguirosas shippe wherein she with the olde man receiued him Rosicleers salutation to the Princesse after this exploit was in this wise Madame what hath ben done your selfe hath séene but for a recompence thereof I shall thinke my selfe throughly satissied if you will venture that into my hands which you dare hazard into the handes of the new Knight For I promise you I will as willingly ieopard my person as hée shall Now when Rosicleer had so sayde the Princesse the olde man stayed a good while without speaking word for the consideration of theyr owne daunger with recouerie if this man fayled made thein the more warie and so betweene the examination of Rolandos valour and Roscleers hardinesse In the ende Arguirosa her selfe rather vppon loue towardes him then of assured confidence would put her matter to no other tryall then Rosicleers so she commended her quarrell to him on this sort The curtesie valiant knightes which you haue offered me though vnworthie hath bene so great that I want the holdnesse to accept more yet because you carst defended mée from death by the vanquishing of Rolandos knights and now againe you will needes take vppon you a further matter rather not to refuse you then willing to trouble you againe I will returne with you to my Countrey and commit wholy to your handes the whole ordering both of my selfe and my cause her vnckle gaue his consent thereto and Rosicleer thanked them much So they sailed to Thessalia where by the waye Rosicleer casting in his thought how to redresse the Princesse wrong to the least displeasure of her and her vnckle which were loth to be knowen determined as a straunger to enter the land to demaunds iustice as it were against a person not knowen To which deuice after he had made them priuie and promised that they should not bée disclosed till it so serued for their auaile they were better comforted and sailed with so good winde that they tooke landing in a hauen néere the place where the king was taking lande he made the Princesse to put on a muster and the olde knight to couer his head besides bidding both to counterfaite for the time some straunge behauiour either in holding downe their heads or in bisguising their attire To either of them he gaue his horse and himselfe mounted vpon a courser the best of all Candramartes stable In the coole of the euening they fooke their way to the néerest Citie where then were many knights and Ladies comming out of the citie to disport them in the shadow Rosicleer being of a comely personage and so lustelye mounted foorth to bée seene and was well lyked off and praised amongest them all And they followed on theyr iourney towarde the gates of the Citie the king at that time came accompanied with his nobilitie to solace himselfe in the fielde as at other times before he was accustomed The king rode vpon a mightie horse with trappings and harnesse most of beaten golde his horse being so braue and himselfe so fierce and sterne to looke too that it woulde haue daunted a right good knight to haue but spoke to him So soone as the Princesse and her vnckle sawe him they counterfaited the best that they could and for feare theyr blond sonke downe into their bellies The valiant Gréeke knowing that this was Rolando whom he sought for as nothing afraide of his terrible lookes but rather glad to haue met with him so conuenienly and in the companie of so many knights willed the Princesse and the knight to follow him So came they all thrée before the king Rosicleer speaking to him and saieng Mightie king in iustice stay thy horse to heare a poore Ladies complaint and to right the greatest wrong that euer was offered to a Gentlewoman Why she complaineth to shée is for that thou art the king and shouldst aboue all men repuise the wrong doer so further discouering of the kings duetie Now the while Rosicleer spake thus Rolando behelde him verie well lyking both his courage personage and albeit of his owne nature hée neither feared God nor kept iustice in things which perteyned to himselfe yet hearing in Rosicleers discourse himselfe to bée made on now and then as of a right Iudge and that hée would not consent that other then iustice should be executed in his kingdome hée was tickeled therewith and bad Rosicleer tell on for he woulde heare his matter willingly Rosicleer strayning his voite that what hée saide might bée hearde and noysed busoade spake as followeth Knowe you mightie king that the father of this Gentlewoman was Lorde of great possessions which marryeng with an honourable woman begat on her this Ladie Few yeares after his wife deceasing this Lord married also another woman by whome he had no childe after that the Lorde himselfe dyed also the stepdame remayning aliue and shortly marryeng with another man whome in her husbandes dayes shée had a liking too This man sir king matching with the mother in lawe hath dispossed the true heire of her lawefull inheritaunce insemuch too as béeing so disseysed shée hath in no wise béene considered off as such a mans
require this that at least you shew him some good countenaunce whereby he may bée encouraged to demaund you of the King your Father which suite shall not bee impossible if onely your liking may bée wonne The Princesse angrie at the heart with this spéech for it was the thing most contrarie to her wish replied shortly Madame Rodasilua if I had thought that the zeale and loue which hou haue professed and I doe confesse had tended to this issue I should lesse haue lyked your companie and I cannot thinke well of it that either you shoulde breake with me of such matters or shoulde haue communication thereaboutes with your brother who as you saie lacketh boldnesse to discouer his affection which cannot bée doth he loue so earnestly when he vouchsafeth not to speak vnto me but by a messenger I suspect your wordes perhappes if I had heard the man speake I might haue iudged in his countenaunce whether hée had lyed yea or no. But for truth you knowe I am of young yeares at this instant neither haue I will to marriage I pray you therefore name it no more vnto me and yet when I am of yeares I may not choose my husband and I am at the Kings commaundement whom I must obey The Princesse Rodasylua so sharply rebuked by the Princesse Oliuia and thereby gathering the lystle good will she bare vnto hir brother demaunded pardon of hir speach and returned to hir lodging whether she sent for the Prince Don Siluerio and to him she tolde the whole talke with the Princesse aunswere willing him notwithstanding not to giue ouer but to make a better shewe as if hir aunswere misliked him not and couertly to labour to the King for his consent This can he not denie you and after you may winne the Princesse for as yet hir excuse is but of yeares The Prince liking hir counsayle departed from the Princesse his sister and the nexte daye finding the King at leasure he required his Maiestie of a secret matter The King commaunded those in presence to auoyde and tooke him to a windowe where the Prince after his duetye done beganne on this sort With your graces fauour I trust I haue this long time ben a welwiller to your daughter the Princesse Oliuia and to haue hir to wife whereto if it might please your highnesse to condiscende I knowe my parents would well agrée thereto for the great loue which they beare to your Maiestie to me their sonne thereby should I take my selfe to be the best rewarded for my long tarrieng that euer Prince was I humbly beséech your highnesse to let me knowe your minde héerein The demaund of the Prince was nothing straunge to the king Oliuerio for he suspected this matter long before therfore his answere was short that he was content to accept him for sonne in lawe as well for his owne worthinesse as for his birth and for the friendship betwixt their parents yet saith he you shall giue me leaue to thinke thereon you shal haue a more resolute answere the prince hoping that his desire woulde take effect Nowe the King to knowe the Princesse minde therein went himselfe to the princesse lodging where finding hir alone he counsayled hir in this sorte It hath pleased God that the Prince Edwarde thy brother shuld be lost in the realme of Hungarie I hauing none other childe but thee thinke it conuenient both for mine owne liking and the common profitte of my subiectes to haue thée maried with some Prince of lyke estate This haue I thought on a long time and now vpon mature deliberation had with some speciall of my counsaile I haue founde one a Prince which both for his power may and for his courage will and for his nobilitie is worthie to beare swaye in so great an estate as this is him am I content to take for sonne in lawe and to commend my title vnto you This Prince is Don Siluerio Prince of Lusitania whom you know right well a comly knight of personage valiant in armes of a couragious spirite aboue all vertuous and in his dealings circumspect courteous of speach and of high estate as I knowe fewe lyke There are besides to commend this march the entercourse of trafficke betwéene our subiects and the friendship betwéene his parents and me Heerein therefore saye your fancie for so farre as reason will I am content to heare you Thus said the King But the Princesse whom these woords more galled then either sworde or speare not knowing how to shifte off the King hir father and not to answere his demaund stood in a maze for feare The King seeing hir so silent asked the cause why she aunswered nothing yet a while In the ende forced to saye somewhat she rather excused hir silence then resolued the doubt My Lorde and father saith she I haue not aunswered you hethâ—râ—â—â— because I knowe not howe to doo neither may you nowe looke for a full aunswere The matter is so strange vnto â—ée as that I neuer thought of it before and your Highnesse knoweth that I am of young yeares and as yet I haue no desire to marrie the time groweth on when I shall be of more age end then perhaps shall I haue more desire which when souer it falles out shall be of your choyce more then of mine owne The king thinking that she had spoke as she ment and that hir young age hadde bene hir onely staye tooke in good parte this excuse willyng hir notwithstanding to remember what he had sayd So the King departed and the Princesse remayned somewhat better apayed by the Kings liking of hir aunswere but hir hope was that Rosicleer would come and that he being present the Kings minde might be altered as touching Don Siluerio and for this cause she made many a secret vowe for his spéedie retourne but aboue all she looked for Fidelia The King at his retourne caused Don Siluerio to be called to whome he declared his talke with his daughter and hir aunswere adding moreouer that héereafter he thought the matter possible inough for hir good liking besides his whereof he might be assured Don Siluerio was the gladdest man aliue and thanking the King for so high fauor for that time he departed from the King but the Princesse grew to be more melancholick then before for she espyed what courage he had taken by the comfort which the king had giuen him After Don Siluerio thinking the matter sure inough departed the realme with his sister Rodasilua where let vs leaue him and tourne to the Emperour Trebatio ¶ The Emperour Trebatio carried awaye the Princesse Briana from the Monestarie of the Riuer Cap. 56. IN great pleasure and contentation did the Emperour Trebatio remayne with the Princesse Briana at the monestarie of the Riuer where by their continuaunce together their loues increased so towardes each other that either of them delyghted in the other and eyther of them thought themselues happie when they were in
the others companie This loue betwéene them was in other manner then that which ariseth by a blast of beautie and it endured so long betwéene them that neither yeares nor sicknesse nor death scarcely could once impaire it and for this loues sake could the Emperour Trebatio willingly haue forborn both kiffe and kindred and acquaintaunce in his owne countrey and for his loue durst the Princesse aduenture to flye hir fathers Realme and to abandonne hir selfe to vnknowen passages and to trauayle with Trebatio into Greece As the Emperour Trebatio finding opportunitie tolde hir that he hadde counsailed with the Knight of the Sunne as touching their departure by whom hée vnderstood that both for themselues and for the King Tiberio it was méetest to depart otherwise saith he maye the King your father be blamed for the death of the Prince Edward and our ioye might finde ende if I were discouered but for the dispatch of this whole matter he said that he would leaue a letter in hir chamber wherein should be shewed both how and in what manner all things had bene done which you haue heard of The Princes yéelded there to gladly and betwéene themselues they prouided things necessarie for their departure none being priuie thereto but Clandestria and the other Gentlewoman The daye before the Princesse should depart she tolde hir Gentlewomen that she had vowed nine dayes fast in hir lodging charging that for that time none should trouble hir saue that she would haue Clandestria as she was wont and this Gentlewoman for necessarie occasion The Princesse was thus woont to doo very often which made it probable The next daye when all were readye and hadde voyded the Princesse lodging the Emperour threwe in his letter and Clandestria shutte the doore So by the secrette posterne they all departed This was a good while before daye and they tooke such horse as hadde bene prouided by the Princesse By the opening of the morning they had ridden a pretie waie and the Princesse being wearie turned out of the way to rest her selfe in a shade as euerie thing made her afraide and wearie till that Clandestria hastned her on by saieng that she thought her businesse would be suspected in that she fetched not the broths as she was wont So vp to horse they goe and héere breaketh of the first booke what happened by the waie the second booke declareth Now let vs remember by the waie where we left our worthie princes that when we haue néede of them we may there finde them The Emperour in his waie to Greece the knight of the Sunne abideth in Tiberios court Don Siluerio is vppon the Sea towards Lusitania Rosicleer now departeth from Thessalie after the establishing of the kingdome to the Quéene Arguirosa Brandizel and Clauerindo stay in the king of Polonias Court where the Prince Brandizel maketh loue to the Princesse Clarinea Zoylo Prince of Tartarie Bargandel Prince of Bohemia and Liriamandro Prince of Hungarie all thrée together soiourne at the Emperours Court of Trabisond with the Princesse Claridiana a woman knight of whome this whole storie specially intreateth but more at large héereafter And thus endeth the first booke FINIS A TABLE CONTAINING ALL THE Chapters which are in this booke CAPVT 1. The description of the kindred and choosing of the Emperour Trebatio Fol. 1. Cap. 2. The king of Hungarie pretending a title to the Empire setteth himselfe against the Emperour Trebatio 3. Cap. 3. The Emperour Trebatio by the hearesaie of her beautie was surprised with the loue of the Princesse Briana 5. Cap. 4. Prince Edward entereth into Belgrado the Emperour bethinketh himselfe of his remedie 7. Cap. 5. Prince Edward riding towards the monestarie of the riuer was by the Emperour Trebatio encountred and slaine 8. Cap. 6. The Emperour Trebatio was receiued at the Monestarie by the Archbishop of Belgrado there betrothed by the name of Prince Edward 9. Cap. 7. The Emperour Trebatio driueth in his conceit the order how to consummate the marriage which in the end he bringeth to passe accordingly 11. Ca. 8. The Emperour Trebatio pursuing those which had stolne his Ladie left all his knights and tooke another waie 1â— Cap. 9. The aduentures of the Emperour in following the inchaunted chariot 14. Cap. 10. The Emperours knightes finde not their Lord and the Hungarians misse the prince of England 18. Cap. 11. The Princesse Briana taketh great sorrow at the losse of Prince Edward 19. Cap. 12. The Princesse Briana was deliuered of two sonnes Clandestria christneth them causeth them to be nursed 20. Cap. 13. The king of Boheme raised the siege and the king of Hungarie returned the Princes knights into England 22. Cap. 14. Clandestria deuiseth with the princesse Briana how her sons might be brought vp in her companie 23. Cap. 15. Donzel del Febo was lost by misaduenture 25. Cap. 16. The pedegree of the valiant Prince Florion and other matters as touching him 29. Cap. 17. Prince Florion in his waie homewardes findeth by aduenture the young Gentleman Clauerindo sonne to the king Oristeo king of Fraunce and bringeth him with the Gentleman of the Sunne to Babylon 31. Cap. 18. Prince Florion with the two young Gentlemen entereth Babylon and were there honourably receiued by the Souldan 35. Cap. 19. The deliuerie of the Souldan by the Gentleman of the Sun 36. Cap. 20. An aduenture in the court of the Souldan which befell to the young Gentleman of the Sunne 41. Cap. 21. Donzel del Febo is dubbed knight and ouercommeth Raiartes 46. Cap. 22. Africano king of Media Persia inferred war vpon the Souldan of Babylon 50. Cap. 23. The knight of the Sunne maketh answere to Africano as to his letter 52. Cap. 24. A cruell battell betweene the knight of the Sunne and Africano with the discomfiture of Africanos host 56. Cap. 25. The knight of the Sunne the two Princes Florion and Claueryndo with a great hoast entered into Persia and there put Florion in possession of the crowne 61. Cap. 26. The knight of the Sunne and the Prince Claueryndo beeing in their way towards Babylon were diuided by a sodeine aduenture 63. Cap. 27. The Princesse Briana discouered to Rosicleer secretly that he was her sonne 66. Cap. 28. Rosicleer departed from the monestarie of the riuer without the knowledge of the Princesse his mother 68. Cap. 29. Rosicleer in Liuerbas name slaieth Argion and remooueth the lawes 71. Cap. 30. Rosicleer departed from the valley of the mountaines meeteth with two Princes christned by aduenture is carried from them againe 74. Cap. 31. Certaine accidents which befell Rosicleer after his departure â—â—m the two Princes 79. Cap. 32. The great feasts began in Oliuerios Court. 82. Cap. 33. An aduenture which chanced in king Oliuerios court 90. Cap. 34. A daungerous battaile betweene Candramarte and Rosicleer 93. Cap. 35. A Gentlewoman came to the court from the Princesse Briana which made him follow Brandagedeon 97. Cap. 36. A cruell battaile betweene Rosicleer and Brandagedeon with his knights 100. Cap. 37. Rosicleer and the two princes seeke aduentures in the land of Britaine and the two Gentlewomen carrie the Gyants bodie to Oliuerios court 104. Ca. 38. The Gentlewomen brought the bodie of Brandagedeon to the Court the Princesses receiue the letters of their knights 160 Cap. 39. Arinda the Gentlewoâ—â—â— belonging vnto the Princessâ— Pâ—na tolde the bringi 〈◊〉 â—â—sicleer vnto the Princesse Oliuia Fol. 113. Cap. 40. Fidelia being on her waie to carrie the letter to Rosicleer was taken by sixe knights from them deliuered by Rosicleer 118. Cap. 41. The Princes Bargandel Liriamandro retourning from the Forrest misse Rosicleer 125. Ca. 42. Rosicleers departure is published in the Court of king Oliâ—â—rio Oliuia after knowledge whose sonne he was reuerseth iudgement passed by a countermaund in another letter whereof Fidelia likewise is the bearer 127. Cap. 43. Rosicleer was betrayed into the Iland of Candramarte that Gyant whose hands had ben cut off before by Rosicleer 131. Cap. 44. The knight of the Sunne was carried to the Iland of Lindaraza where hee atchieued manie straunge and fearefull aduentures Fol. 135. Cap. 45. The three Princes which went in the quest of Rosicleer were transported into the Empire of Trabisond where chaunced to them a faire aduenture 149. Cap. 46. The two Princes Brandizel and Clauerindo stale secretly out of the kingdome of Persia to finde the knight of the Sunne 153. Cap. 47. Rosicleer departeth from the Iland of Candramarte and meeteth with certaine aduentures on the Sea 156. Cap. 48. The battaile which Rosicleer had with Rolando 161. Cap. 49. The Emperour Trebatio and the knight of the Sunne are in their way to the kingdome of Hungarie 163. Cap. 50. The Emperour and the knight of the Sunne riding towards the Monestarie of the riuer are by an aduenture separated 165. Cap. 51. The Emperour came to the monestarie of the riuer there was made knowne to his wife the Princesse 169. Cap. 52. The Knight of the Sunne riding to the Court of king Tiberio iusteth with a knight for passage 179. Cap. 53. The knight of the Sunne aunswered before the king Tiberio for the Dutchesse Elisandra the battaile was appointed between him Arydon of the black wood Fol. 172. Cap. 54. The battaile betweene the knight of the Sunne and the strong Arydon 173. Cap. 55. Don Siluerio demaunded the Princesse Oliuia for wife of the king Oliuerio 174. Cap. 56. The Emperour Trebatio carried awaie the Princesse Briana from the Monestarie of the riuer Fol. 178. FINIS TABVLAE
stripe redound vppon mine owne head for who shall receiue greater smart by his absence then I shal What a wicked world is this wherein men of force must neglect other mens vertues and magnifie their own Nobilitie without desert were it not more reson to raise this man to the top of honour that in him his posteritie maye glorie then for lacke of auncestours famous for like qualities to suppresse his vertue and kéepe vnder the magnanimitie of his courage When beganne my Fathers and Grand-fathers to be Nobles but when with the winges of vertue they soared aboue the vulgar sort and if by their meanes onely I am aduaunced to be a Princesse what thanke is there to me of my highnesse And thou Rosicleer if by those rare and souereigne vertues which flowe and flourish in thée thou dost mount in credite not onelye aboue the baser sort from whom thou wast taken but also aboue Princes and Lords where-vnto thou arte to make thy assent Art not thou worthie of greater renown then we and others which climbing by vertue in like sort neuer yet came to the possibilitie of lyke worthinesse Is not this a forgerie of the world and a plaine iuglyng with Nobilitie when we must make more account of one which perhappes by disorder of lyfe defaceth the honour of his race then of one which reacheth vp the ignobilitie of his stocke wherein consisteth nobilitie in the opinion of men or in vertue in déede and doo men inherite vertue as the childe entereth vpon the fathers land béeing lawfull heyre No héere we receiue naught but what our selues sowe and he that reapeth not may be a loute for all his Lordshippe as in time appeareth which iudgeth fréely and without affection And for me if the eyes of my vnderstanding were not dimmed I shoulde soone confesse lesse merite in me to deserue Rosicleer then wanteth in him to be worthie of me I am a Princesse by my Father and my glory resteth in the reckoning vp of a bead-role of Princes some of them dead a thousande yeare agone which nothing pertaineth to this present age But he maye be a Prince by his owne vertue and his Nobilitie ariseth not by kéeping a Tally of names but by making iust proofe of manhoode in his defence of iustice euerie daye in such sort likewise that not any of mine Auncestoures vertues whereby they became noble dare approch to be tryed with his in an euen Ballaunce And is there not manie Gentlewomen in the worlde of as high a calling as I am And is there anye Prince or Knight of so high renowne for vertue knighthoode as Rosicleer is Haue not the best Knightes of both Christendome and Pagansie ioyned with him either at Tilte or Tourney and doth he not obscure them all as when the Sunne appeareth no Starres dare come in presence And I silly woman hauing not so much as the refuse in me of my predecessours vertue am notwithstanding by the iniurie of the times bonde to so great follie as that I must not thinke him worthie to equall mée which is much my better But sith of force I must yéeld to the time and rather dye then acknowledge the contrarye sith my Fortune is such that I must liue by the immagination of other men and sith my estate maye not bee yoaked with his basenesse haue at it I will for euer shut him from my presence for the sauegarde of mine honour But withall séeing without his presence I cannot find ease for this torment I will make him amends by giuing ouer my lyfe vnto the enduring of euerlasting sorrowe And if it be best so to doo tell me my Fidelia thy minde for I perhappes am beguyled by my passion neither in deede haue I either iudgement or séelyng of ought but of griefe and sorrowe Fidelia heard the woordes of the Princesse and taking part with the Princesse made vp this wofull lamenting with hir sorrowfull speach in this sort Alas Madame howe much better had it bene that neuer the Knightly déedes of Rosicleer had bene manifested in Britaine for then without the sight of him you had neuer receiued this wounde which nowe festering in you for lacke of looking too will be verie harde to be cured But the wisest saye that in such matters as are hard and difficult a man must especiallye employe his trauayle and that the succesie is not so vnlykelye but that labour maye reach vnto it as for this griefe which nowe distempereth you is not so great but that you maye bee soone whole your selfe béeing there-vnto willyng For in this neither Nature worketh neither Fortune nor the Starres nor the celestiall Signes nor anye supernaturall Influence as you suppose but onely the fancie and lyking of man the selfe same effect with that which in the sicke is to desire to be whole and in the thirstie to drinke And whosoeuer with the consent of his owne will attempteth the breaking of these snares which his fancie layeth to intrappe him in maye scape scot-frée and helpe others in like necessitie Otherwise if this loue wer naturall to all men as all men then shoulde loue by Nature so shoulde they not forbeare it either for shame or friendes displeasure and if it procéeded from Forture or by grace inspired whereof the cause is not knowen but the euent is euident then were our lybertie héerein irrecuparable and in that the principall sute was without vs it might excuse the infirmitie of the patient wheras as both experience prooueth that loue hath bene remooued by reason and we dayly chide their impotencie which are not able to resist the dartes of Cupide It is therefore requisite madame that your selfe put too your hand and frame your will to the obaying of that which may bring remedie not onely for the loue which you presently féele but for that which you feare will héerafter happen by your ill brooking of his absence And truly I am perswaded that séeing you haue with your selfe resolued to exclude him from your companie that the best is to put it in practise faithfully and effectually least by forbearing of this correction he take more courage to disturbe your rest and yet am I not against that which you haue confirmed with good reson that we ought to reuerence vertue rather than riches and in my iudgement that Gentlewoman which shal match with Rosicleer may thinke hir selfe happie for his rare and maruelous deedes of armes make him to glister more gloriously then all other Princes and Knights whosoeuer And in times past when all things went not so ouerthwart as they now doo he was the best of lignage whose prowesse was best knowen and he best esteemed which wanne his estimation by his manhood And to this purpose behold the buylder of Rome by name Romulus taken from his foster-foster-father a shepheard and in a manner edified for that erection although ther were manie buylders in the world both before after but the difference of the buyldings lieth in the